


Making A Memory

by Milner



Series: Memories [1]
Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 16:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2276592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milner/pseuds/Milner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"As I look from person to person, taking in small pieces of their happiness, a pair of deep blue eyes catches me off guard. As soon as I see them, they're gone, but the intensity I felt in those few seconds makes me curious." </p><p>A modern day AU where Tris and Christina take a much needed vacation, meeting some new friends along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do a fun little story with these characters, but that's really hard in the canon setting. So this is just an upbeat light thing I decided to try out. It does however have many parallels with the original story, so give it a few chapters! The characters are still mostly themselves, but honestly, it's no fun to write about them in an upbeat setting when they're moody as fuck lol. We're about about 50 in/50 out of character.
> 
> Also, two chapters to get you started! Enjoy!

"Are you excited yet?"  
"A little bit."  
"Only a little bit? Tris, we're going on a cruise!"

I roll my eyes, but give Christina a big smile because I really am excited. We've been saving ever since we found out about the cruises our college participates in. Each year, just before either summer semester or winter semester, they have an agreement with California Cruise Lines where they allow students to purchase a 14 day cruise, to Mexico in the summer, or Alaska in the winter, at a discounted rate. It's a way to allow us to unwind during whichever break we choose before the new semester starts, and to say thanks for paying us all of this tuition money.

"I made a check list of all the things we should bring with us," she says as she pulls out her phone. "Okay, first the essentials. Toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant-"  
"Christina," I interrupt, "I think we're both smart enough to bring those absolute basics."  
"Hey, I've forgotten these things before, so I never go anywhere without my handy dandy list," she says, waving her phone around.  
"Okay, fine. List away," I say. She continues on listing things off as we both check our suitcases for them.

"Okay. How many outfits did you pack?"  
"Well, it's a two week cruise, so fourteen."  
"Tris."  
"Christina, I'm not like you. I don't have a million things to choose from. I packed the basics. I'm good."

She laughs and then makes her way over to our closet. We room together, and even though we're lucky enough to have a walk-in closet, it is admittedly eighty percent hers, twenty percent mine. She flips through my side and pulls down a couple cute tops before riffling through her own. "There. A few extras won't hurt. Good thing we're the same size. And now for the rest of it."

I sigh and sit on the foot of my bed. There's no way I'm going to be able to stop her, so I watch as she pulls out a few pairs of pants and shorts each, some leggings, and goes back to the closet to pull out two dresses.

"Cute underwear check," she says as she starts poking through my bag.  
"Hey. My underwear are just fine," I say.  
"That's the problem, Tris. You gotta live it up a little! Wearing a cute pair of panties isn't going to hurt!"  
"Christina," I say with a smile, "Nobody's going to see my panties but me."  
"Well then maybe, that's the problem."

I blush a little, but she's right. I haven't really seen anyone since before I moved here last year. But after my last foray into the dating world, I've been okay with that.  
"Move," I say to her as I open a dresser drawer. I poke around for a minute before pulling out a few pairs. "One neon pink lace, one sheer black, one blue silky material, and one lime green thong. Better?"  
"Much," she says with a smile.

"You do know that I'm not looking for any sort of relationship, right?"  
"I know. No pressure from me. But if you do happen to spot a cute boy," she winks, "at least you're prepared."  
"Ha!" I say. "You're a funny girl."  
"Boys are no joking matter." We laugh as I stuff the underwear in my suitcase.

"You got your suits, right?"  
I nonchalantly nudge the bag containing my new suits further underneath my bed. "Yep."  
"Tris, I know you're lying and I'm not even looking at you. Besides," she says as she ducks past me and retrieves the bag, "I saw that."  
"Christina, I just don't know if I'm comfortable with those."

"Tris, you cannot wear this," she says as she pulls my old, plain one piece out of my suitcase.  
"Why not?"  
"Well for starters, it looks like a mom suit."  
"A mom suit?" I say, raising one eyebrow.  
"Yeah, you know. The type of thing a mom wears. You are 20 years old and not a mom. Besides, I made sure they were tankini's. There's just a small strip of skin showing at the bottom of the top and it covers your back more. It's technically the same amount of fabric, maybe more. Plus, I may have gotten you something else."  
"Oh god. What now?"

She digs in a bag and pulls out a knee length black tunic. "It's still sorta sheer, like we'll be able to see your suit color and stuff, but I thought you might like the extra coverage."  
"Oh, Chris. You do love me."  
"You bet your ass I do. You packed something for 80's night, right?"  
"Oh crap. I totally forgot about that. And I don't think I have anything."  
"Quickly! To my car!" Christina says dramatically, "There's nothing a little shopping can't fix!"  
I laugh as she grabs my hand and drags me out the door.

* * *

"Okay. I think you've packed so much extra stuff for me, my suitcase is going to bust at the seams," I say as I plop down on our couch, exhausted from an afternoon of digging through thrift stores and vintage shops. "If I find anything while we're in Mexico, I'm going to have to wear it off the ship just so I can get it home."  
"Don't worry," Christina says as she flops down next to me. "I shoved an empty duffle in mine, just in case."  
"Always prepared for unforeseen purchases," I tease.  
"Hey! You'll thank me later."

Even though we've both been going non-stop since early this morning, neither one of us can really relax. We keep going over all the things we want to do, all the food and drink we want to try, and Christina keeps describing all the hot bodies she wishes to see.

The more I listen to her, the more looking doesn't seem like such a bad option.

Neither one of us can sleep, so we put in a movie and snuggle up with blankets on our couch, anxious for tomorrow.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 1**

"Excited! I'm so excited!" Christina yells as we make our way onto the train platform. "Two weeks of fun and sun and relaxation."  
"I'm holding you to that relaxation bit."  
"You're not sticking your nose in a book the entire time, Tris. We're going to have fun, and you're going to enjoy it. That's an order!"  
I laugh. "Okay, okay. But I still get some book time, you promised."  
She rolls her eyes but quickly forgets everything when she starts jumping up and down as the train approaches.

It's a little over an hour train ride down near the coast, where we'll grab a cab and head to port. The boat doesn't leave for three hours, but we wanted to get checked in early and poke around the city for a little bit.

After we check in, we're given special wristbands that we have to wear the whole trip. They give us access to every area of the ship, as well as comp us all of our food and drink. Mine is plain white and Christina's is white with black stripes, signifying that she's over twenty-one.

With an hour to spare, Christina wastes no time finding a cute little boutique on the boardwalk. We goof around, trying on pairs of sunglasses that cover half of our faces, and giant, floppy sun hats that touch our shoulders. Christina is determined to document every moment of this trip, so we take a zillion pictures too. Serious faces. Silly faces. Duck faces. Normally I wouldn't let her go  _this_  crazy, but this is supposed to be a fun vacation, so I let my guard down a little and oblige her wishes.

We each buy a hat and a pair of glasses, so the woman working behind the counter stops giving us dirty looks, and head out to board the ship.  
"Do you think they'll notice I'm not staying in my room?" I ask as we push our way through the throngs of tourists who are boarding too.  
"What do they care where you sleep? It's not like they were willing to accommodate your situation. And what are you going to do? Stay in the room  
with  _him_?"  
"Nope. And let's not mention it again."  
"Deal. One question though. What are you going to do if you run into him? It's bound to happen. We're confined to this ship for most of the cruise."  
"The same thing I've been doing all these months. Ignore him."  
"Good girl," Christina says as she flings her door open.

"Well, this looks nothing like the brochure," she says as she drags her things in. She's right. We are supposed to have a queen sized bed, and this thing looks like it's barely over a twin, our 'window' is a slightly larger porthole, that doesn't open, and there is a questionable stain on the carpet.

"I guess this is a case of, you get what you pay for. No matter!" she exclaims loudly. "It's not like we're going to be in here much!" She's right, but it still sucks. I hope this is no indication of how the rest of the trip is going to go.

"Hey. Let's go up the the deck and wave at all the people like they do in the movies!"  
"Do they actually do that?" I ask, unsure if that's a real thing or not.  
"Who cares! We can pretend!"  
She giggles and takes off running, and I follow.

When we reach the deck, there are crew members handing out small boxes to everyone.  
"I knew it!" Christina says as she opens her. It's filled with some streamers and confetti. "This is going to be so cool."

We find a spot and wait patiently for the ship to blow it's horn, indicating the official start of our cruise. I have to admit, this is pretty exciting. I look at the people surrounding us and see the happiness in their faces. Couples kissing, families with small children, older couples enjoying their time with each other; all of them smiling. I try my best to not ruin this moment by thinking about my own situation.

As I look from person to person, taking in small pieces of their happiness, a pair of deep blue eyes catches me off guard. As soon as I see them, they're gone, but the intensity I felt in those few seconds makes me curious. I stand on my tip-toes and look left and right around the people near me, but I don't find them again, so I shrug it off and turn my attention to the people waving goodbye to us from the boardwalk as the horn sounds.

Christina and I toss our streamers out into the ocean, and ask the couple next to us to take a few pictures as we sprinkle confetti all around. We laugh and hug each other, and as the ship is slowly tugged away from it's dock, I decide that it's time; no more dwelling on the past. The next two weeks are going to be spent finding out who I really am.

* * *

"First things first, get that cute butt of yours into a swimsuit and lets find a place to relax by one of the pools," Christina says as soon as we get back to our room.  
"I'm not going to argue with that."

I dig through my suitcase and take out one of the suits Christina picked up for me. It's black, with a distressed sort of filagree pattern all over. I slip it on quickly and throw the tunic on too.  
"You know, I didn't buy that for you so your could wear it the whole time. Besides, that suit paired with your tattoo? It makes you look like a bad ass. You should own that."

I reach down and run a finger over the three ravens in flight on my collarbone. "You really think so?" I ask.  
"I do. That's why I picked that suit. Sort of a bad ass secret biker chick vibe."  
"Chris, I am about as far from 'bad ass biker chick' as you can get. Besides, I'm only wearing it to the pool."  
"I knew if I worked hard enough, I'd get you out of that shell of yours."  
"Hey now. I can just as easily keep it on," I tease. Christina throws a towel at me, and I scoop it, and my book, up and run out the door.

We find a spot that isn't too crowded and settle in. I order a virgin strawberry daiquiri, but Christina orders herself a beer and a margarita.  
"Two drinks?" I ask.  
"Shh. One's for us to 'share'." She wiggles an eyebrow and I smile.

I spend most of the afternoon alternating between reading, napping, and taking a quick swim to cool off. Christina is fairly buzzed, but I only took a few sips of the margarita she ordered us.

We decide to hit the buffet for dinner. We each grab two plates and pile a little bit of everything on them.  
"We look like pigs," Christina says as she shovels mashed potatoes in her mouth.  
"I think that's just you," I say with a wink.  
"Hey!"

There's a stage for entertainment, and we watch as two guys, who are wearing hardly any clothing, come out and start doing all these crazy tricks with fire.  
"Oh, my," Christina says, completely ignoring her food now. "Time for some dessert."  
"Ew Chris, gross."  
"What? A little eye candy is a good way to top off the day." I blush a little, but she's not wrong. Both of them are very tan, and very muscular. And their outfits don't exactly leave much to the imagination. "I wonder if this wristband gives me full access to them," she says as she tugs at her wrist.  
"Christina!"  
"What? A girl can dream."

Sometimes I envy Christina's lack of, well, anything. She always speaks her mind, she's never shy about  _anything_ , and she always goes after what she wants. I keep up with her well enough, but sometimes it's hard. My upbringing was more reserved than hers, and breaking out of those old habits takes time. I don't mind though. She's actually been a good influence on me, and I'll never forget her face when  _I_ suggested we get tattoos.

Everyone needs a way to express themselves.

After the 'eye candy' leaves the stage, a cheesy, in house cover band comes on. "Okay," Christina says, "Desserts over. We can go."

We shower and change and try our best to get comfy on our cramped bed.  
"I'm so sorry, Chris. I can get an extra blanket and sleep on the floor and-"  
"Like hell you are! You think I'm going to let you sleep where someone was probably murdered?" she says, pointing to the questionable stain.  
"Ugh. Thanks for that image."  
"Sorry. I know it didn't happen, but you would think they could at least replace that section of the carpet or put down a rug."

Instead we prop our pillows and make the best of the situation. I flip through the movie channels on the little TV and laugh.  
"Titanic Tris?" Christina says. "Jesus. This ship is going to kill us, isn't it? Whatever. I'm ordering room service. If I'm going to die, it's at least going to be full of junk food."

The two of us eat our room service ice cream in bed and cry at the end of the movie, as usual, before finally passing out from pure exhaustion.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**DAY 2**

I crack my eyes, and it takes me a moment to realize where I am, and that my limbs are tangled in with Christina's. I try my best to move without waking her, but she's already awake.  
"I have to pee really, really bad, but I don't want to get up," she says, her voice slightly croaky. "Ugh. Why do I always sound like this after I cry?"  
"I think it's your body subconsciously rejecting any serious feelings."  
"Oh har, har, Tris. Get your leg out of my way or I'm going to pee on you." I roll out of bed quickly and let Christina out, grabbing my phone afterwards to check the time.

"Did you know it's almost eleven? God, I can't remember the last time I slept in like this," I say loud enough for her to hear.  
"Good. Break your damn routines. Live a little," she yells back.  
"I am living."  
She opens the door and gives me a look. "Tris, I know. Just live a little...more. I like seeing you like this. No stress. Carefree.  _Young,_ " she says with pointed enthusiasm.  
"I know," I say with a smile. Christina has been my best friend since we were ten, and I don't know what I would do without her.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I ask as I shove her out of the bathroom.  
"Sun, pool, boys, in no particular order. So get your suit on and let's go." I don't need to be told twice.

I set up in the shade to read a little, and give Christina a smile as she dives right into a group of boys nearby. It doesn't take long before I hear her laughing and look up to see her pulling one away from the group and having a little conversation. He's tall and slightly muscular with shaggy dirty blonde hair; definitely her type. I smile and stick my nose back in my book, counting down the time until she introduces me.

Sure enough, no more than ten minutes pass before she plops down next to me. "This is my best friend, Tris. Tris, this is Will."  
"Hi Will. Nice to meet you."  
"Nice to meet you too," he says and extends his hand to me. I give him a small smile and shake his hand.  
" _Manners!"_ Christina mouths to me before winking and standing back up. "You should come join us in the water, Tris."  
"Yeah, yeah. Let me finish this chapter and I'll be over."

I read another three before she gives me the stink eye and I join them.

I'm introduced to the others, and am surprised to find out that some of them also go to our school. Zeke and Uriah are brothers, and I can tell within the first two minutes they are the crazy ones. I've already heard three jokes, two of which made me blush, and then they dared me to steal some girls drink while she wasn't looking. I politely declined, but they just smiled knowingly at me. I have a feeling they get their way a lot with those smiles of theirs.

"So is it just you three?" I ask.  
"No. We're here with our girlfriends," Zeke says, pointing to himself and Uriah, "And our friend Four and my girlfriends sister."  
"Four?" I say, slightly confused.  
"Yeah. He's my best friend."  
"Oh," I say, still not understanding, but I let it drop. "Where are your girlfriends?"  
"Medical emergency," Uriah answers.  
"Oh, shit. Are they okay?" Christina asks, and they all laugh.  
"Yeah. Marlene just broke a nail. You would have thought it was the end of the world. So they took her to the salon to get it taken care of."

We make small talk, and I realize pretty quickly that these are some really nice people. Zeke and Uriah often mess with each other by holding one another under water or running around on deck trying to pants each other. Will is very laid back but talks a lot; we learn all about his sister Cara, who is studying abroad, and that he is going to be going to school to be a doctor. Specifically, he wants to work in an ER. The way he talks about the rush of energy from helping those in need and not knowing what to expect next is quite captivating. He's incredibly smart, and I can already see Christina's eyes turning into little hearts.

Some time passes before the girls return, and we get the full introductions.  
"This is Marlene," Uriah says. "She's the hottest girl on this ship, and she's all mine."  
"Ugh. Keep it in your pants, will you? Hi. I'm Lynn, and this is my sister, Shauna," a small, tough looking girl says. She holds her hand out to me first, then Christina. We shake her hand before waving to Shauna, who is obviously with Zeke. Other than both having dark hair, Lynn and Shauna look nothing alike.  
"Well, that's all of us then, except for Four, who you'll meet later tonight," Zeke says.

"Oh?" I say, not realizing we were making plans so soon after meeting.  
"Yeah. They invited us to hang with them at one of the clubs tonight. I said yes. I didn't think you would mind," Christina says.  
"Okay. Sounds fun," I say.

* * *

"What kind of club is it? I don't really know what to wear," I say as we get ready.  
"I don't know. I think it's just a regular old club. Just wear something comfortable."  
"Christina, that is music to my ears."

I grab a pair of leggings and one of the dresses Christina packed and call it a day. She rolls her eyes at me and drags me into the bathroom to pull half my hair back and braid it into a crown. I let her because it's something she really enjoys, but I draw the line at a full face of makeup. She settles for a little mascara and some lip gloss.

"Adorable as always," she says as she plants a kiss on top of my head. "And hey, maybe this Four guy is single."  
"Chris."  
"I know, I know. I'm just saying," she says with a wink. "Now come on. Mama's ready to shake her money maker." I roll my eyes but I can't hide my smile as we head out the door.

Turns out the club is exactly that, a club. Loud thumping music, laser lights, and people dancing all over the place. Luckily for me, all the clubs on the ship are eighteen and over. We make our way through the crowd to the bar and find our new friends. Christina apologizes profusely, but I tell her it's okay; she's on vacation too, and she can dance with Will if she wants too. It doesn't take them long to find a rhythm and get tangled in one another, and as the others pair off, I'm left with just Lynn.

"Well, it looks like the third wheels are left to fend for themselves," she says just before she takes a shot. "You want to dance, or do you want to stare at everyone and make fun of them?"

At first glance, Lynn has a very hard exterior. The sides of her head are shaved, and the thick stripe left down the middle is styled into a spiky mess that seems to compliment her just right. But I watched her, along with everyone else this afternoon, and despite the things she says, I know she cares deeply for these people. Maybe some more than others. I follow her eyes out to the dance floor and am not surprised to see they are in the general vicinity of Marlene. I don't blame her. Marlene is really beautiful.

"Make fun," I say.  
"Good choice. Let's start with Uriah. Look at the way he flops around out there. He can't possibly be any good in bed." She takes another shot and I just smile.

She orders me some fruity coconut drink so she's not drinking alone as we continue making up stories and laughing about people, but after a while I notice her face fall, so I don't stop her when she wants to leave.  
"Thank you, you know, for hanging out with me," I say.  
"I admit, I wasn't sure about you at first, but you're okay Tris. See you around, I'm sure," she says, nodding towards Christina and Will who have practically melded into one body at this point. I smile and nod, and watch her leave.

"Can I get a bottle of water?" I ask the bartender as I shove my barely touched drink away.  
"You shouldn't drink water at a bar. It's mina rude," I hear a familiar voice say, and it sends a chill up my spine. I spin my barstool around slowly and am face to face with the one person I didn't want to see this entire trip.  
"What do you want, Eric?" I ask as I slide off the barstool.  
"Nothing. I was just hoping you and I could go somewhere and talk."  
"No thanks. I think we've done enough talking. Now if you'll excuse me." I look to the dance floor to catch Christina's attention, but I seem to have lost her and Will in the crowd.

"Is that any way to talk to me?" Eric asks as he grabs my arm. "I was hoping I would find you in our room, but instead you make me chase you around the ship. Then again, you always were playing hard to get."  
"There's a reason I'm not in that room," I say, yanking my arm out of his grip. He reaches out again, but I spin quickly, and land a hard elbow to his ribcage like I was taught in the self-defense class I took. It takes him by surprise and allows me a window of opportunity to get out. I'm unfamiliar with this area of the ship, but it doesn't matter; I go wherever my feet take me.

After a few turns, I find myself on a large balcony. "Tris!" I hear him yell down the corridor I just came from. I panic for a short second, feeling completely exposed out here in the open. Besides a couple of people, the only thing out here is a large potted palm tree. It's just far enough away from both the ship and the railing to create a little cubby hole, so I climb over and crouch down, pressing myself as far back as I can and close my eyes. I hear footsteps, but I'm too terrified to open my eyes. I hate that he can still have this effect on me.

"Hey, man. Did you see a small blonde girl around here at all?" I hear Eric ask.  
"What, like on the ship? I'm sure there are plenty of girls around fitting that description," a deep voice replies.  
"I meant right here, right now, asshole. She would have ran out here or maybe passed by."

I crack an eye. There's a tall, incredibly muscular guy leaning against the railing right in front of me. I see him clench his jaw a couple of times before smirking just a little bit. "If this hypothetical small blonde girl  _was_  running away from you, I certainly wouldn't tell you. Lucky for her though, she seems to have given you the slip." He takes a sip the beer he's holding before raising both eyebrows. "Is there a reason you're still standing here?" he asks.  
"Fuck you," I hear Eric reply, followed by footsteps.

"He's gone. You can come out now," he says before extending a hand to me; I let out a shaky breath and reach out. He finally looks at me as he helps me up, and the first thing I can truly see about him are his eyes.

So deep and blue and...familiar.

"You okay?"  
"Yes. Thank you," I reply as he helps me climb back over the planter.  
"You know, it's going to be pretty hard to avoid someone on a ship."  
"Yeah, tell me about it. Maybe I should just hire a body guard. Are you available?" I joke.  
"I might be," he says with a small twitch of his mouth, and my heart start beating noticeably faster.  
"Well, thank you again. I should go find my friends and get back to my room," I say as I walk backwards towards the doors.

He gives me a small smile and tips his head in my direction. "Maybe I'll see you around," he says just before I reach them.  
"Yeah. Maybe you will."


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 3**

"Tris, I'm so sorry. I should have known and I shouldn't have left you and-"  
"Christina," I say, cutting her off. "It's fine. I'm fine. We both should have figured he would act like that, and we both knew that we would run into him eventually. We are on a ship after all. Besides, you need to have fun too. You're not my babysitter."  
"I know, Tris. I just feel bad."  
"Well, don't."  
"Okay. I won't if you tell me more about your knight in shining armor."

She grins at me and I roll my eyes. As I laid in bed last night waiting for Christina to come back, I had realized why his eyes looked so familiar to me; they're the ones I saw on deck in the crowd just before we departed.

"He's not a knight," I say.  
"If he saved you, he's a knight in my book. So just how hot was he?" she pries. I just blush. "Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you like this. He must be a god."  
"Chris. I'm probably never going to see him again, so it really doesn't matter. Now get dressed. You owe me after last night."  
"Oh no. What are you going to make me do?"  
I smile. "We're going bowling."

Turns out, there's no actual bowling alley on the ship. There is however a massive game room, complete with a Wii bowling tournament.  
"Ugh," Christina complains as I check us in. "Why are we in here? We could be outside and in a pool."  
"We both agreed that we were going to try everything we could. We can't do that if we're in a pool every day."  
"Fine. You're right. Let's get our bowl on!" she yells out as she runs off towards our assigned screen.

"Is that your bodyguard?" I hear a deep voice say behind me. I reel around and am face to face with those blue eyes. "Other than yelling loudly, I'm not sure she could do much," he says, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.  
"Well, don't underestimate her just yet. You haven't seen her on a mission to the mall. God help you if you get in her way," I say, and he grins.

"Hey, it's Tris!" Zeke says as he comes up to us. "Well, I see you've finally met Four."  
"You know each other?" I say, sounding more dumbfounded than I intended.  
"We do. Four, this is Tris. Tris, Four. This is the other girl I told you about that we met yesterday. You were supposed to meet her last night."

"Yeah, about that. What happened?" I ask, smiling ever so slightly.  
"I needed a moment alone, and then I got a little sidetracked with a plant," he says as he stares at me, and my heart gives an extra hard thump.

"Did I miss something here? What the hell are you two talking about?" Zeke says as he looks back and forth between the two of us.  
"Don't worry about it," Four says, breaking our eye contact. "Let's bowl."  
"Yes! I hope you're prepared to lose your ass, Four," Zeke says as he makes his way in front of me to register them.  
"See you later?" Four asks me quietly.  
"Maybe."

"That's Four? Holy shit he's hot," Christina says as she cranes her neck to get a better look.  
"Shh. Knock it off," I say as I swat at her. "I have something else to tell you, but you have to promise not to make a scene."  
"Me? Make a scene?" she says, scoffing. I just look at her. "Yeah okay, fine. Tell me."  
"Four is, well, he's the knight." Her eyes get wider than I have ever seen them as she brings a hand up to her mouth. "You promised!" I say quickly.

She squeals quietly into her hand before removing it from her mouth. She also jumps up and down a couple of times and shakes both hands out before saying, "Okay. I'm over it. I'm cool. Let's do this."

It's an elimination style tournament, and the winner gets a little first place trophy and a giant blue ribbon with a 1 on it. Since they hold one every day, there aren't that many people here, and it doesn't take long before it's just myself and Four left.

"You're going down," he says to me with a smirk on his face.  
"Oh you think so? Would you like to make a bet?"  
"Fine," he says. "Loser buys dinner."  
"Well that's lame, but if that's what you want."  
"Well, we could always spice it up a little, if you like," he says as he takes a step towards me; I can feel the heat radiating off my ears.  
"No, uhh, dinner's fine," I say a little more flustered than I meant to let on.  
He smiles, but I notice the faint pink in his ears too. "It's a bet then."

I've managed to work up a sweat, both from nerves, and the concentration and effort I'm putting into winning this thing. Only one frame left, and if I want to win this thing, I have to get eight pins knocked down. My nerves manage to get the better of me though, and I only knock down three pins on my first roll. It doesn't help that everyone has found us, and is rooting for me to either win or lose.

"Hey batter, batter!" Zeke yells as I try to concentrate.  
"This isn't baseball you dork," Shauna says as she punches his arm.  
"Ow! I know that! I was just trying to help Four out!"  
"You can do it Tris! Win this one for the girls!" Marlene shouts.

I take a deep breath and count to three, trying my best to block them all out. One flick of the wrist, and I turn and give Four a smile, because I know exactly where my ball is going to end up. They all cheer for me when the remaining pins fall down.

"And that, is how you win a bet," I say, raising my arms in the air triumphantly. The crew member running the tournament hands me my trophy and ribbon, and I pose in a victory yell for a photo for them to hang on the wall.

"Care to give me a chance at redeeming myself?" Four asks me as I watch them tack the polaroid on the wall.  
"You really want to get beat that badly? You know, you don't have to  _actually_  bet me. You can just ask me to play a game, and I'll gladly win," I say as I hold my head up high.  
"Fine," he says. "Pool, or darts then?"

We play both, and while he completely annihilates me at darts, I leave him in the dust at pool.  
"How did you get so good at this?" he asks me afterwards.  
"We had a pool table in our house growing up."  
"Ahh. So you're a cheater, then?" he says, grinning.  
"I am not. You just assumed that because I'm small, or a girl, I wouldn't be any good at these things."  
"I would never assume that about you," he says seriously. He gives me a small smile; his statement feels genuine, so I smile back.

"I guess you should be thankful you didn't make it double or nothing, because you would have lost no matter what, and then, you would owe me dinner twice."  
"Actually, I wouldn't have minded paying up more than once on this bet." I feel myself flush and stand there for a minute, unsure of what to say. "Well, it seems like I owe you dinner, fair and square," he says to break the silence.  
"It seems that way, yes."  
"So, tonight then? 7 o'clock?"  
I nod. "Sure. See you then."

As he turns to go, it dawns on me I have no idea where I'm supposed to meet him. "Hey!" I yell out after him. "Where are we meeting?"  
He just winks at me and leaves the room.

"What was that all about?" Christina runs up and asks me.  
"We made a bet, and he owes me dinner."  
Her mouth drops open. "You're going to dinner?  _With the knight?_ "  
"Shh. Stop calling him that. He didn't literally save me. And yes."  
"Oh my god, who knew we were on a fairytale cruise. Come on, Cinderella, we have to get you ready for the ball." I roll my eyes, but can't fight the smile that's creeping onto my face as she drags me out by the arm.

"Now, aren't you glad I made you pack some extra outfits just in case?" Christina asks me as she lays out a dress.  
"You didn't make me do anything. You did it all yourself."  
"Exactly. Now come here and put this on. I can't decide which one makes your eyes look better." I sigh loudly, but oblige her. She isn't taking fashion design classes for nothing.

Just before seven, there is a knock at the door. I've been nervously waiting for a little while, and trying my best to not bite my nails. Christina answers the door, and pulls it open wide to reveal Will.  
"M'ladies," he says, and bows enthusiastically. We laugh and curtsey back, and when he rights himself, he holds out a piece of paper towards me. "If you don't mind, Christina and I are going to hang out tonight."  
"No, I don't mind," I say, unfolding the paper. In neat print it says,  _The White Room_. "I can stay out late, if you need me to."  
"No, that's okay, Tris. Have fun and don't wait up for me," Christina says with a wink.  
"Yes, M'am," I say with a salute as I make my way out the door.

After wandering for a while, I finally cave and asked a crew member for directions. When I arrive, I see that the name is very literal. Every last item in the restaurant is white, which doesn't seem very practical for a place where spills can occur.  
"Name?" the man at the podium asks me.  
"Oh. Umm...Four?" I say, realizing I don't even know his real name. "Or Tris, maybe."  
He looks at his computer for a moment before smiling. "Follow me, please."

We walk through the restaurant and end up out on the balcony. There are only six tables here, mostly empty, and Four is waiting at one of them. He stands and smiles as I am led to him, and sits only after the host pulls my chair and I sit. "Thank you," I say to him before he leaves.

"Well, this is pretty fancy, Four. You didn't owe me this. I would have been just as happy at one of the bars or the buffet."  
"I know. I just thought it would be nice. Besides, I heard the food here is excellent, and I didn't have an excuse to come here until now."  
"Oh, so I'm an excuse then?" I ask with a smirk.  
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," he says sternly, but still with a small smile.  
"I know."

We make small talk as we share an appetizer, but mostly we sit in silence together, enjoying the cool ocean breeze and the early evening sky. "It really is beautiful, isn't it?" I ask as I point to the pinks and purples and oranges of the last fading light.  
"Yeah, it is."  
I look at him to find he is not looking at the sky, but at me instead, and I blush just a little. "I think this is my favorite part of the day," I say.  
"Why?"  
"Well, I know that the only thing left after this is the night sky. There's nothing like looking out and seeing thousands upon thousands of stars and the Milky Way and the planets themselves. Even though it makes me realize just how insignificant I am compared to the larger picture, I still feel this overwhelming sense of belonging in my chest. I know that I am a part of those stars, and they are a part of me, and it makes me feel connected to everything and everyone. It makes me feel like I have a purpose."

He looks at me for just a moment, and I think I see a flash of something in his eyes, and when he finally smiles, it's one of the most genuine acts I think I have ever seen.  
"That was very poetic," he says.  
"Oh, no. That was just a little bit of nerding out. And maybe a little bit of daydreaming."  
"There's nothing wrong with either one of those things."

We both ordered the filet mignon; mine with loaded mashed potatoes and a side salad, his with steamed broccoli and a side of crispy fried straws in truffle oil. When it arrives, it is easily the fanciest plate of food I have ever seen.  
"So, they call their french fries 'crispy fried straws'. Interesting. I wonder if they taste any different," I say as I peek at his plate. "They're awfully thin."  
"Have one," he says as he pushes his plate towards me. I smile and take one.  
"Oh my god," I say in an exaggerated tone. "I have tasted heaven, and it is these fries."

Truthfully, the entire meal was like heaven. I have no idea how they managed to make something as simple as mashed potatoes so amazing, but if I had to eat here every day for the rest of my life, I would not complain. We share a piece of chocolate cake for dessert, and it too is probably the best cake I have ever had. Four excuses himself afterwards, and while he's gone the bill comes. It never even crossed my mind that a place this fancy wouldn't be on our comp list, so I take a quick peek at it, and my jaw nearly hits the floor when I see it's just over two hundred dollars. I try my best to remain as neutral as possible when he comes back, and tosses a credit card in there like it's nothing.

"I have a confession to make," I say, biting my lip to stall for a moment. "I looked at the bill. Four, I can't let you pay for me. This was absolutely amazing, but it's too much." He waves his hand at me and opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "No, I mean it. At least let me pay you back."  
"Don't worry about it. But if it makes you feel better, how about next time, you pick up the check?"  
"Next time?" I ask, and he smiles. "Okay then. Next time."

We spend a little more time together, walking the deck of the ship, and have to control our laughter when we catch a glimpse of Christina and Will making out near one of the club entrances we pass.  
"Is she always like that?" he asks.  
"Yeah. She doesn't really have a filter, of any kind. But it's her, you know? I wouldn't have her any other way."  
He nods. "Yeah, Will's a little shy, but clearly she has no problem breaking him of that. They look cute together. I mean, when their faces aren't melded into one." I laugh but I agree. Christina isn't exactly known for picking the best guys, so it's about time she found someone who is good.

"So, about last night. Care to share that story with me?" he asks.  
"If you're referring to me hiding behind a palm tree, then no. Not yet, anyways. And I'm assuming that Four is a nickname. Care to share that with me?"  
he shakes his head. "Another time then?"  
He smiles. "Another time."  
"Deal," I say.

His hand brushes against mine, and I instinctively pull away and cross my arms. I can't tell if it was intentional or not, because he doesn't acknowledge any of it. I sneak glances here and there as we walk, and think I like him, possibly a little more than I want to admit. But I've been burned in the past by guys I thought I could trust, and I don't know if I'm ready to venture down that road just yet.  
"It's getting late. I should probably head back," I say.  
"Okay. I'll walk you to your room."

We don't say anything as we walk. I hesitate for just a moment when we reach my room; I'm not really sure how I want this night to end. "Thank you, again. I actually had a great time."  
"Me too," he says. "See you tomorrow?"  
"Yeah, I'm sure you will."

Without a second thought, I reach out and take his hand, giving it a small squeeze before quickly slipping into my room. My heart races as I lean against the door, and it's quiet enough that I can tell Four stood there for a moment before walking away.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 4**

"What time did you get in?" I ask as I crack an eye open and see Christina standing over me, prodding a finger into my side.  
"About five minutes ago, but enough about me. How was your date?"  
I shoo her hand away and grab my phone; it's almost 10. "It wasn't a date. It was a bet being paid," I say as I rub the sleep from my eyes.  
"Yeah, okay. I overheard Four this morning, and he wouldn't shut up about you. He was talking to Zeke, and he kept going on and on about how nice you are and that you seem like you're pretty tough and how you have this longing thing going on and-"  
"Okay, okay. Enough already. I get it."  _Longing thing?_  I pull the sheet up over my head to try and disguise my smile.  
"Ha! I knew it!" Christina says as she rips the sheet off of me. "Now get in the shower, we have somewhere to be."

* * *

"Okay, I like this whole cooking class idea thing, but who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" I say to Christina as we walk into a room that's basically a giant kitchen.  
"What? I cook."  
"Microwaving things and ramen don't count," I say.  
"Well, maybe I want to learn, okay?"

Zeke, Uriah, Shauna and everyone else we just met come walking in and choose the stations right next to us. "Wow, what a coincidence," I say sarcastically.  
"Shut it," she replies through gritted teeth as she smiles at Will.

I smile at her, but out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of blue and am instantly drawn to it. Four stands in the doorway and smiles at me; the grin I had aimed at Christina easily doubles in size.  
"Going to learn how to make those fries from last night?" he asks as he walks up.  
"Oh I wish. I think it's a combo class, though. One breakfast item, and one dinner item."

"Welcome everyone," a small woman with graying hair says from the front of the room. "I trust you and your partners are ready? My name is Violet, and today I will be teaching you how to make both donuts and pizza from scratch. Aprons on!"  
Four gives me a quick nudge and takes his place with Zeke next to us.

"Why are we doing this again?" I hear Zeke ask as he fumbles with his apron.  
"Because your girlfriend asked us to, and you're a nice boyfriend who sometimes does things he doesn't want to because it makes her happy."  
"Oh, right," Zeke says with a grin. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."  
"Shh!" Shauna says as she gives Zeke a look. She is paired with Marlene, and Uriah and Will are paired with each other. It works out perfectly because the workspaces are really four smaller ones placed together to form a large square.

"There is a cabinet underneath each station full of everything you need to participate, as well as a list of all the ingredients you will need, some of which are in this fridge over here," Violet calls out. "Everyone please gather your things."

We laugh and joke as we grab the sugar and flour and the rest of what we need. Christina and I take turns following each step, and before we know it, we're frying up some delicious donuts.  
"I can't believe I actually cooked something edible," she says as she takes the first bite. "Oh, god. Tris, it's like my mouth is having an orgasm."  
"Shh, Christina," I say, looking around to see if anyone heard.

"Oh, what? Am I embarrassing you?" she asks. "Oh, god. This is so good. Mmm, oh yeah," she says loudly, mimicking a ridiculously fake and over the top orgasm. Everyone in the class laughs, but I just turn five shades of red. I'm even more embarrassed when I notice Four watching me, but I think I see a little pink again on his ears too.

We pass around and share the donuts we made with the others when we're all done, and by far, ours is the best. I stick my tongue out at Four and say, "Yet another thing I beat you at."  
"That's it," he says seriously. "You're my partner now."

"Oh what a wonderful idea!" Violet says as she walks by. "Everyone, I want you to pick a new partner for the second half of the class. Have some fun and meet new people!"

Christina immediately runs over to Will and shoos Uriah away, who gladly pairs up with Marlene, which leave Zeke with Shauna and Four with me. We gather our ingredients for part two, and start making the dough. As it rises, we make the sauce and chop the ingredients we want to use.

"Just pepperoni?" I ask.  
"Eh, I don't like much else. We can make it half and half though, if there's something else you want."  
"No. I like pepperoni."  
He grins like a goofball and says, "Just wait. I have an idea."

As we roll out our dough, Four taps the tip of my nose with his flour covered finger. "Hey," I say, and press my hand on the side of his face, leaving a nice handprint. This gets the rest of them going, and before we know it, we're all more white than anything else. Violet rolls her eyes, but smiles anyway; I'm sure she deals with this on a daily basis.

We cover our pizza with sauce and a ton of cheese, and when I reach for the pepperoni, Four stops me. He winks and gives Zeke a nod, and Zeke flashes one of those mischievous smiles he always seems to get when he's up to no good.  
"Why do I have a feeling you guys get into a lot of trouble together?" I ask.  
"It's all him," Four says. "I never did anything until this one came into my life. Bad influence. Do not trust," he says with a grin.  
"Hey, it's not like you ever object to any of my ideas," Zeke says.

Four takes the pepperoni, and starts carefully laying it out in a design, and I can see Zeke doing the same. It doesn't take me long for me to figure each one out.  
"Immature, the both of you," I say. "Boobs? Really?" I lean over and take another look at Zeke and Shauna's pizza.  
"Hey, at least it's not a dick like ours," she says as she gives Zeke a playful shove, but both boys just laugh.

"Ha ha! Penis pepperoni!" Uriah says. "My feelings are hurt that you did not include me in this, by the way."  
"One day little brother, you will learn the cues. Until then, it sucks to be you. And Tris, we may be men on the outside, but inside, we're perpetually twelve years old," Zeke says.  
"Good to know," I say as I give Four the side eye. He just grins.

After we bake our pizzas, we all share again. "Well, I finally won," Four says to me.  
"Oh? And what makes you say that?"  
"Two reasons. The first is our pizza is by far the best, boobs or no boobs. Second, I got to spend some more time with you."  
As hard as I try not to, I smile.

"I need another shower. And a nap," Christina says.  
"I second that," Marlene says. "This flour is everywhere."  
"Swimming tonight?" Will asks.  
"Ooh, yes," Christina says.  
"Okay," I say. "Let's meet at the Crystal pool."

We spend the late afternoon taking a nap and talking about Will and Four.  
"So, he's cute, I know that much. But what's he like? He seems pretty laid back, but quiet."  
"That's pretty much it," I say. "Same can be said for Will, huh?"  
"Yeah. He's not nearly as secretive as Four though."  
"Secretive?" I ask.  
"Yeah. They've been friends for a while, and Will says he still doesn't seem to know much of anything about him," she says.  
"Well, sometimes you just need secrets," I say. "Besides, he seems like he's the type of guy that tells, but only when he's ready."

At least I hope he is.

* * *

"Cannonball!" Uriah yells as he jumps into the water. Will shoves Christina in, and I laugh because she's not the best swimmer when she's unprepared.  
"Don't even think about it," I warn Four, but he just raises his eyebrows at me and pushes me in anyways. "That's it. You're a dead man," I say when I come up.

He dives in and comes up right next to me. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Promise I won't do it for the rest of the night," he says.  
"Okay, but I still owe you. Hey, where's Lynn? I meant to ask earlier but I haven't seen her since the first night."  
"Oh. She found someone to hang out with. Something about not wanting to see everybody making out." I smile, but I know that's not what she really means.

The pool is mostly empty, so we are rowdier than usual. We play chicken, marco polo, and have a cannonball competition, which Zeke proudly wins.

After a while, we sort of relax into different groups, and I find myself floating on my back with my eyes closed. A gentle pair of hands finds their way to my back, and I open my eyes to see Four looking at me.  
"Hi," he says.  
"Hey. What are you doing?" I ask.  
"Nothing. Just watching. And maybe wondering what you're daydreaming about."  
I smile. "I'm actually not right now," I say.

He floats me around the pool as I look up at the stars, sometimes stealing glances at him. Each time his eyes are on me, and each time my heart beats a little harder.

"Okay, now I'm daydreaming. It's a little cheesy, but it's fun to do. Have you ever seen Wall-e?" I ask as I start to move my arms like I'm swimming.  
"I have."  
"Okay, so when I look up as you carry me around the pool, I can see all of these stars up there, and I'm imagining that I'm really floating among them like they do in the movie."

Four removes his hands, and I let myself float back upright. His eyes seem darker than I have ever seen them, and it sparks a little interest in me. I also happen to notice the fleck in the left eye that is slightly lighter, and I like that he has that tiny flaw; it makes him seem more human. He takes a small step closer, gently lacing his fingers with mine under the water, and I don't have any desire to pull away from him. We stand like that for just a moment until Zeke interrupts us with a cannonball.

"That's it!" Four says as he takes off after him. He holds him underwater until I protest, and then he let's him up for a second before doing it again. Everybody laughs and cheers and seems to have gotten their second wind, so we swim and goof off until the early hours of the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 5**

"Land ho!" Christina says as we stand on the bow of the ship. "I've almost forgotten that anything exists other than this ship."  
"That's good, isn't it?" I say.  
"Yeah. I mean, what's the point of this nice vacation if you can't forget your life for even a few days."  
"Yeah," I say. I know she doesn't realize it, but her comment brought me out of the little haze I've been in since last night. The people we have met are great, and some of them even go to school with us, but not all of them. Things won't be as fun and carefree when we get back; we'll most likely be strangers once more.

We meet up with our group guide who is taking us on our first adventure out into Cabo San Lucas. We packed a bag with a change of clothes, because first up is snorkeling.

We board one of the waiting boats, and it takes us out to a nearby reef. After a quick safety lesson, Christina and I are ready to go. We hold hands as we fall overboard together, and take off.

The reef is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The fish darting in and out, sea turtles swimming by, even a passing sting ray comes close enough to touch. Every animal we encounter is such a vibrant shade of purple or blue or orange, I swear they will have to invent a new color just to describe them.

We pose for a crew member with an underwater camera before swimming over to an area where we are given some anchovies to feed the anemones. This is easily one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Just as we surface, a crew member from the boat alerts us to a pod of dolphins nearby. We're told they're friendly, but that they don't always come near. We wait with the rest of the group patiently, but they never get closer than maybe 100 feet. Still, we laugh and enjoy watching them swim and play and jump out of the water for us.

"I can't wait to see that picture we took. I bet we look like dorks," Christina says with a laugh on our way back.  
"Dorks or not, it'll still be a cool picture to have."

We rinse off and change on the beach, and head into town to explore. Most things here are fairly Americanized, so we don't feel too out of place, but there are still some places that we find where we have to communicate with gestures and laughs. The first one is a bakery.

We are drawn in by the delicious smell of baking bread and sweet sugar. The woman behind the counter greets us, and waits patiently as we point to various items. She gladly creates us a sample box of her 'favoritos', takes our money, and shoos us out the door.

"This is the best bread in the whole world," I say as I take another bite of the sugar coated piece Christina and I are sharing. "It needs an award."  
"Two awards," Christina adds.

We pack the rest away and find another shop that sells souvenirs. We buy the obligatory sombreros and take more pictures, unable to control our laughter at one point. We excuse ourselves when the woman behind the counter shouts something that neither of us understands and glares.  
"I think we made her mad," Christina says.  
"I think we did too. Hey look, there's a park over there. Let's just go relax under a tree."

When we get there, I see that it's not just a park, but an almost mini jungle in the middle of the city. We find a nice shady tree to lounge under, close our eyes, and take full advantage of the amazing ocean breeze that's blowing.  
"I could stay here for the rest of my life," Christina says lazily.  
"Me too."

"But if you stay here, who will take care of all the shopping?" A deep voice interrupts. I open my eyes and see Four standing there. I prop myself up on my elbows and see the others making their way towards us.  
"Are you following me?" I joke. He returns my question with a small smile.  
"Hey, I resemble that comment," Christina says.

We stare at each other for a few moments as the others throw a blanket down and join us.  
"Picnic time!" Uriah says as he rubs his hands together. "I'm starving. What did everyone find?"  
"You're always starving," Marlene retorts.  
"I can't help that I work up an appetite when I'm with you."  
"Eww! I don't need to know any of this!" Shauna shouts. "Shut up Uriah, and keep it in your pants."

They all laugh and start pulling various items out of their bags; Fruit, carne asada, cokes in glass bottles.  
"We have dessert!" Christina chimes in as she takes a new spot near Will with our box of sweet bread.  
"Mind if I join you?" Four asks, pointing to the spot Christina just left.  
"No," I say as I watch him sit. There's something about him; he's quiet, saying just enough to be a part of things, but never in the spotlight.

He's a lot like me.

Christina is the only person I have ever really opened up around. To everyone else I am just that girl who likes science and does well in school. Sometimes it makes me feel like I lead a double life, but Four seems to bring that other side of me out, and I think I'm finally understanding why.

I make a plate, grab a coke, and make myself comfortable. I'm enjoying listening to Zeke and Uriah argue about which one of them would win in a wrestling match against a bear when I feel a nudge on my shoulder.

"Where did you find this bread? It's amazing."  
"We were just walking down the street and followed the smell."  
"Well, thank god for that."

I watch Four eat his last bite and smile, and it makes me smile too.  
"What?" he asks.  
"Nothing. It's just quite satisfying watching you enjoy that. Hey, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure," he says.  
" _Were_  you following me?"

He looks over to the group for a moment before looking back at me. "No. And I didn't see you guys over here either. Zeke did."  
"Oh. Okay," I say, embarrassed that I asked now.  
"Can I ask  _you_  something?" he says.  
"Sure."  
"Well, it's more of a tell than an ask. He suggested we come over here, and I didn't object, because I don't mind being wherever you are."

I blush immediately and look away. That is the nicest, and probably most romantic, thing anyone has ever said to me, and the only thing I can think of saying at the moment is, "Thank you."  
"You're welcome," he says.

We sit in silence together for the rest of the picnic as the other animatedly talk, only joining in for a laugh now and then.

"So can I just say this now? I think I speak for everyone when I say that you two have pretty much become members of our bitchin' ass gang," Zeke says as he points to me and Christina.  
"Bitchin' ass gang?" Shauna says as she gives Zeke a look of confusion.  
"Quiet woman, you are ruining my speech. And you know I love you when I call you that so please don't give me that look. Now, as I was saying before I was so  _rudely_  interrupted, I think I speak for everyone when I say, can we please just do everything together from now on? I'm tired of listening to everyone talk about you all the time, and I'm tired of everyone constantly looking for you. If we just hang out for the rest of the trip, everyone wins. All in favor?"

"Aye!" the group shouts as they all raise their hands. I look at Christina who is laughing hysterically before I look to my right. Four is holding his hand up high too; I smile. I look back to Christina who gives a quick look between Four and I before nodding her head enthusiastically.  
"Okay," I say.  
"Yes!" Christina shouts.  
Everybody cheers and Zeke and Uriah stand and pretend they just scored a goal and do a little touchdown dance.

"Okay, seriously. Are they  _always_  like this?" I ask Four.  
"Yep."  
"What the hell have we ourselves gotten into?" I say. He laughs and so do I.  
"It's not that bad, I promise. You'll get used to it. They love you already, you know," he says.  
"No, I didn't," I say.  
"Well, you're easy to love." I swear I blush so hard, even my hair turns red. "Enjoy it, Tris. It's okay to let go a little."  
"Giving advice you don't always listen to, I see."  
He smiles. "Something like that."

Uriah pulls a football out of his bag, and he and Zeke toss it back and forth while trying to bribe us to join them in a quick game.  
"He plays football," Four says. "Got a scholarship and everything. He deserves it though. I've known the two of them since my childhood. Their father died young and their mother did all she could to take care of them. She could only afford to send one of them through college though, and since Zeke was the oldest, he got to go."  
"That's kind of depressing," I say.  
"Nah. If you knew them, you wouldn't say that. Nothing could ever bring either one of them down. I mean, can you even look at either one of them without smiling?" he asks.  
"No, actually," I say with a grin. "What about you?"  
"That Tris, is a much longer, and more complicated story. Short version? My mom died when I was young, and my father is an asshole. But he's rich, and I don't have a problem taking advantage of that."

I look at him to see if he is joking, but it's very clear he isn't. "I'm sorry," I say.  
"Don't be. I have to look at everything in a positive light because if I don't, I think I might fall apart."

Without a second thought, I reach out and place a hand on his back. He closes his eyes and let's out a loud breath. "Hey," I say. "I know we just met, but if you ever need to talk about it, about anything, I'm here."  
"Thank you," he says softly.  
"You're welcome."

The moment passes when Zeke throws a football towards us, and Four catches it. He pulls me up and we join a side, playing football and having a good time with our friends until it's time to head back to the ship.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 6**

We all crashed early last night for two reasons. One, to catch up on the lack of sleep we've been getting, and two, so we could meet bright and early to get to the tide pool before everyone else.

Our guide gives us each a waterproof digital camera and a waterproof pamphlet, complete with a scavenger hunt. We decide to pair off into teams, and when Christina gives me her best pouty face to let her partner up with Will, I cave and let her. That leaves me paired with Four, again, not that I really mind. The others take off running, leaving us behind.

"I want to win this thing," he says with a serious look on his face.  
"I don't think it's a competition."  
"No, look," he says, pointing to the last line in the pamphlet. "Whoever brings back a completed list first wins a prize."  
I laugh. "It's probably something cheesy, but we are totally winning this." He smiles as we go over the list together.

"Okay, some of these are going to be easy. Like crabs, fish, starfish. The harder ones I think are going to be the kelp, an octopus, a sea slug-"  
"An octopus?" I interrupt. "Oh god. The thought that one of those is in here just makes me...ugh," I say, shuddering.  
"Are you scared of an octopus?" he asks, laughing.  
"No. They're just...weird. And the suckers creep me out."  
"Okay. When we find it, I'll take the picture. Let's get going."

I smile as we start off with the easier things. I pick up a starfish and pose with it, while Four finds a crab and pretends it's pinching him. We take pictures of sea gulls, moss, a black rock, and sand, each one of us tossing the other one in the frame. Four finds the octopus, and even though it's small, I keep my distance and use the zoom on the camera. Before we know it, we've knocked out three quarters of the list.

"What's left?" I ask.  
"Umm, a sea slug, a turtle, which must be hiding, shrimp, snails and mussels."  
"We should go get a mask so we can look in the water."

While we're adjusting our masks, I look down when I feel something touch my leg. "Oh my god, it's a tiny turtle! Look!"  
Four grabs the camera and starts taking pictures as I make what is probably the goofiest face, but I can't help it; this little guy is the cutest thing I have ever seen.  
"No wonder we couldn't find him. I was expecting a big turtle, not a baby," I say. When I look over at Four, he is standing there, smiling at me. "What?"  
"Nothing. You just look incredibly cute."  
I feel myself blush.

We head out to the deeper area of the tide pool, and find the rest of the items listed on the scavenger hunt, not without taking our fair share of pictures in between though. When we turn in our camera to our guide, he goes through and marks each item off, and sure enough, we have won.  
"What's the prize?" I ask excitedly.  
"Ahh. That is a secret. If you fill out this paper with your room number, it will be delivered to you," the tour guide says.  
"Oh. Umm, whose room should we use then?"  
"Mine," Four says as he takes the paper. "I'm all alone so nobody else will get their grubby hands all over our prize."  
I smile. "Okay."  
The tour guide returns our camera and tells us to continue taking as many pictures as we want.

We spend a little more time in the tide pool, mostly hunting down that turtle. When Four finds the octopus again, I make a run for it, finding Christina and Will. Four makes it stick to his chest and pretends like it's an alien sucking the life out of him. I snap some pictures, but only from the safety of being behind everyone else. We also make sure to take a group photo before we leave, each one of us holding an animal. I got the turtle.

"What's next on the to-do list?" Will asks as we stop for an early lunch.  
"The tour guide mentioned something about Dauntless Boot Camp. That sounds like fun," Zeke answers.  
"Boot camp? I'm on vacation. I don't want to do any work," Marlene says.  
"Where's Lynn when you need her? This is something right up her alley. And she would convince you," Uriah says.  
"She's off with the people she met. Apparently, we're not cool enough for her," Shauna says as she rolls her eyes.

I take the booklet we were handed when we got off the ship and look for Dauntless Boot Camp. "It says we can do things like paintball, throw knives and learn kickboxing. It actually sounds kind of fun."  
"Paintball? I'm in!" Uriah says.  
We easily decide that this will be how we spend the afternoon.

It isn't very busy, so we're basically given free reign over the place. We start with knife throwing. Of course they don't give us sharp ones, but dull ones that stick easily into the targets. I'm not that surprised when Four is the first one to stick his dead center in the target, but I am surprised when I am the second.  
"You're really good at this," Christina says.  
"Thank you," I say with a smile.

We move on to the kickboxing class. We're given basic stances and movements, and before we know it, we're "fighting each other to the death" as Zeke so eloquently put it. We each take turns in the ring until a single victor is decided. I get my ass kicked in this round by Christina, and again, I'm not surprised when Four is the winner here too.  
"Is there anything you aren't good at?" I ask him afterwards. "Besides winning at virtual bowling and pool, of course."  
"Lots. I'm just having a really good day today," he says with a smile.

The last thing we decide to do before getting downright dirty in paintball, is zipline. We take a car over to the start, which is at the top of a nearby hill. It's approximately eighty-five stories up, and it ends within the Dauntless Boot Camp compound. I notice Four doesn't seem too excited about this particular event.

"Hey," I say as I make my way back to him. "You don't want to do this, do you?"  
"What makes you say that?"  
"Well, you're nowhere near the edge of the cliff, you're not talking to any of us, and you have a noticeable sheen of sweat on your forehead." He smiles. "You're afraid of heights, aren't you?"  
He shrugs. "Everyone's afraid of something."  
It's my turn to smile. "You don't have to, you know. I can go back down with you."  
"No. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you can't wait to do this. I'll meet you guys at the bottom."  
"Okay."

"Where's Four going?" Christina asks.  
"Oh, I think maybe something we ate isn't sitting too well with him. He's just going back down to take it easy before paintball. He'll meet us down there," I say;  
nobody questions the story.

When it's my turn, I can feel my nerves starting to take over just a little, but I want to do this. I get strapped in and on the count of three, I am flying. I let out a loud yell as I throw my arms out to the side, and pretend I'm soaring through the trees like a bird; it is exhilarating. When I reach the bottom, Four is there waiting with a smile.  
"How was it?" he asks.  
"Absolutely amazing. The wind and the rush and the speed; I truly felt like a bird in flight." He looks at me, and I feel myself blush again; it's not just a normal look, there's something more to it.  
"What?" I ask.  
"I don't think I've ever met anyone like you," he says as he reaches out and runs a gentle finger over my ravens. "Most people would be terrified by this, but not you. You don't let traditionally fearful things take hold of you or shut you down, you use it to your advantage instead. The look in your eyes tells me you feel more alive, more awake, than ever, and I like that look."

I'm certain I am as red as I have ever been in my life.

"Feeling better?" Zeke asks after he comes down.  
"What?" Four says.  
"Oh. I told them that you weren't feeling well. Probably something you ate," I say quickly.  
"Oh, yeah. I made a trip to the bathroom. Probably for the best I didn't go down," Four says. He gives me a quick look and I know it's a thank you.  
"Gross. But hey, as long as you're good for paintball...," Zeke says.  
"Don't worry about that. I'm good."  
"Hell yeah!" Zeke shouts.

More people have shown up, so we are able to be on one team together for paintball. Our strategy is simple; win. Luckily for us, the team we were paired up against was nowhere near as skilled as we were, but they willingly played 3 rounds with us, and we won all three. We're each given a certificate for completing Dauntless Initiation, and as a reward, we're given some free time in the arena when the other team decides to leave. It takes the boys no time to cover each other in paint, and I admit, it's hard to resist joining in.

By the time we leave an hour later, we are covered in every color of the rainbow from head to toe.

We go our separate ways on the ship to clean up before meeting back up for dinner.  
"It's movie night on the ship tonight," Shauna says as we eat.  
"Movie night?" Zeke asks.  
"Yes. They have giant inflatable screens on deck and we can go watch a movie. We can watch the family movie, which is Finding Nemo, or we can watch the adult movie-"  
"Adult movie?" Zeke says with a smile.  
"Not that adult, you perv. The  _grown up_  movie is Easy A."  
"Oh god, I love that movie," Christina says.  
"Me too," Will adds. They look at each other and smile, and Uriah makes a gagging noise.

"Oh shut up! Like you're any better," Will says, motioning to Marlene.  
"Hey, don't drag me into this!" she says. "But I'm fine with the movie idea."  
The rest of us nod. "Good. Well hurry up. It starts in 20 minutes."

Most of the chairs are taken already, but we manage to find an area in front of a small pony wall, and sit with our back against it. Everyone pairs up into couples, leaving Four and myself to sit next to each other. A crew member walks around handing out candy and drinks, so we take some red vines and share.

About half way through the movie, everyone seems to making out, and I feel a bit awkward sitting there essentially by myself; nothing like a third wheel in a sea full of pairs. I look at Four, and he gives me a quick glance.  
I lean in and whisper, "I kinda feel like a creep sitting here while almost everyone is sucking face."  
"Well I'm glad it's not just me," he whispers back. A few moments pass before he adds, "I have an idea though."  
"Oh?" I say, raising one eyebrow. A very faint smile crosses his face before he scoots just a tiny bit closer. He reaches out and takes my hand and pulls it down, holding it between the two of us where no one can see.

I smile as my heart flutters, and decide to lean into him just a bit. We watch the rest of the movie like that; snuggled into each other and for once, in our own little bubble.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 7**

It's Sunday, so we sleep in, and meet for brunch around noon.  
"God, I'm starving," Christina says as she piles food on her plate. "And don't think I didn't notice you and Four last night."  
"Shh!" I say. "Although I'm not sure how since your face didn't seem to leave Will's at all."  
"I know. He's cute, isn't he?"  
"He is, actually. And really nice too. Nothing like the usual guys you date."  
"I know. So Four?"  
"What about him?" I ask.  
"Well he doesn't exactly talk a whole lot, Tris. It makes it a little hard to get to know him. So...?"  
"So...he's probably the nicest person I have ever met, honestly."  
"And..." Christina says, dragging it out and staring at me.  
"And, okay. I like him. Just a little bit though."  
She squeals and I give her a look. She makes a motion over her mouth, like she's locking it, and I roll my eyes.

"So, what's the plan for the day?" Marlene asks as we sit down.  
"Honestly? I want to just lounge around for a while. I feel like we've done so much the past couple of days and I just want to read and relax," I say.  
"Pool day?" Christina asks.  
"I agree, and can definitely handle a pool day," Shauna adds.  
"Well it's settled then. Lazy Sunday, activated," Marlene says. "Let's meet at the Star Pool. They don't allow kids in that one, so it'll be extra relaxing."

We head back to our room, and I grab the other suit Christina picked out for me. It's a bright teal color, with small little jeweled stars on one hip, and another small grouping of stars on the back just below my shoulder blades.  
"Look at you, hot stuff," she says as she comes out of the bathroom. "This wouldn't be for a certain someone, would it?"  
"That's it. I'm changing," I say, even though I'm just messing around with her.  
"No don't! You look really nice, Tris."  
"Thank you, Chris. You look beautiful too, as always."  
"Oh you don't need to tell me," she says, as she mocks like there's paparazzi in the room. We laugh as I grab my Kindle and head down to the pool.

We're the first ones there, so we pick out a spot in the shade, and drag enough loungers over for everyone. I lay my towel down, stretch out and close my eyes. A few minutes pass when I hear conversation, and a loud wolf whistle.  
"Look at you two," Uriah says. "Couple of babes if I do say so myself." I open my eyes just in time to see Lynn shove him.  
"Dammit! What the hell, Lynn?"  
"That's for perving on your friends in front of your girlfriend. And this," she says as she punches him in the arm, "Is for the whistle."  
"What the hell is wrong with whistling?" he asks as he rubs his arm.  
"They are not here for you to gawk at and treat like a piece of meat. Have a little respect."  
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for whistling at you instead of just telling you that you look nice," he says to Christina and me. "Better?"  
"Better," Lynn says.

I smile at Lynn. "Thank you for that. We've missed you. Where have you been?"  
"I met some cool people, but they had something they had to do and I couldn't join them. So I decided to hang out with these dorks today."  
"Well, I'm glad you did," I say. She gives me a small smile before jumping in the water. Everyone follows suit; jumping and splashing and laughing, but I just take out my Kindle and start to read.

Not long after I feel a presence creep into the lounger next to me and look over to see Four. "Whatcha' reading?" he asks.  
"Oh, I was in the middle of re-reading Harry Potter when we left. Prisoner of Azkaban," I say, turning the Kindle slightly.  
"One of my favorites," he says.  
"Really? When I was little, we would always pick out which character we were, and then read the book out loud as that character. I know, kinda nerdy."  
"Not at all," he says. "So who were you?"  
"Hermione."  
"I should have known," he says with a grin.  
"So who would you be?" I ask.  
"Dumbledore," he says without hesitation.

I watch him for a moment to gauge whether he's joking or not, and I smile. "Okay, I give. Why Dumbledore?"  
"Why not? Who doesn't want to be the oldest and most bad ass wizard there is?"  
I have to give it to him. He has a point. "Fair enough," I say.

He leaves me to my book and joins the others again in the pool. After a few chapters I put my Kindle down and join them too. I watch Four rough house with Zeke for a moment, and I don't know why it didn't occur to me before, but he has his shirt on; he had it on the other night too. I swim over to him and grab his attention by tugging gently on the hem. "Why don't you take your shirt off? It's not like you're out of shape," I say. Clearly he is quite defined, as I'm able to see every muscle as the wet shirt clings to him.  
He looks at me, and I notice a flash of something in his eyes; maybe a wave of sadness?  
"Shoot. Forget I asked. I'm sorry," I say.  
"No. It's okay. It's a valid question," he says. "Come on. I have something I want to show you."

I follow him out of the pool and over to the showers. He pulls me into the family one and closes the door. I'm a little nervous, but then I notice he has that same look on his face that he had just before we went zip lining.  
"Are you okay?" I ask.  
"Fine. I just didn't think this through. Small spaces are a no for me too."  
"Let's go then," I say.  
"No. I want to show you."

He turns around and takes off his shirt. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. He has a massive tattoo, covering the majority of his back. There are five circles down his spine, each with a different symbol inside. All around them are massive flames, covering the rest of his back and most of his ribs. It's all in black ink as dark as my ravens, and I run my hand across my collarbone, remembering how painful it was.  
"It's...," I trail off, not even sure which adjective I want to use. "Just...massive. Wow."  
"Would you like to hear the story behind it?" he offers.  
"Yeah, I would."

"When I was little, my mother used to tell me a bedtime story about a brave hero, and the trials that were set forth for him in his life. The first one," he says, reaching up over his shoulder and pointing to the flame enclosed in a circle, "Was about bravery. The hero had to overcome his greatest fear, fire, and save a family from their burning home. It was extremely difficult for the hero, and he almost let them perish in the fire because he was too overcome with cowardice. But he found the strength by looking in the window, and into the eyes of the littlest child. It sparked the courage that allowed him to face his fear and fight it, thus saving them, and for that, he was rewarded with the traits of bravery and fearlessness."

"The next one, the clasping hands, involved taking that family with him on his journey. They were a great burden to the hero. They slowed him down, used up what valuable resources he had, and gave away their position more than once, almost getting themselves killed in the process. But the hero managed to get them to a safe place, and for that, he was rewarded with the trait of selflessness. Coupled with bravery, he learned what it meant to do things for others, without any gain for yourself."

"The third one, the eye, was a trial in which the hero had to use intelligence to win over his opponent. He had to make his way through an ever changing maze, and each person he encountered inside was there to confuse him and make him fail. Eventually he was able to see through their trickery, intelligence over ignorance, and was rewarded with the trait of great knowledge."

"The fourth one, the scales, involves honesty. The hero met a man on his journey who asked him a series of questions. Even though they were personal and involved things that this man had no feasible way of knowing, the hero answered them all truthfully. Afterwards he was shown the bones of the men before him who were dishonest. For this he was rewarded with the ability to know when others were being dishonest, as well as learning the valuable lesson that honesty really is the best policy, and it will get your further in life than those who are deceitful."

"The last one, the tree, represents his final task. The hero had finally reached his destination; a great city waging war over the Tree of Abundance. Each side wanted to use this tree for their own selfish gain, and neither one was willing to cooperate with the other. The tree had given the people a prophecy; a man would be willing to lay down his life to set their fair city at peace. When the hero realized that the prophecy was about him, he was afraid because he had no idea what to do. So he reflected on his past trials and his newfound abilities; bravery, selflessness, intelligence, and honesty, and told the people about them. They didn't believe that one person could possess all of those noble traits, so he showed them. The hero laid down between the warring sides, and proclaimed that he would gladly die as the prophecy said he would, and that the only way to save his life, would be to stop fighting. The men laid down their weapons, realizing that the hero was indeed all of the things he said he was. Brave for lying down in the middle of a war, selfless because he was willing to die for what he believed in, intelligent for knowing this would get their attention and make them stop, and honest for sharing with them everything he had learned. For this final quest, the hero was rewarded with inner peace. The hero spent the remaining days of his life sharing his knowledge with others, and creating a better world."

"Four...I don't know what to say." I reach out and touch each symbol, taking in the story and the lessons his mother was trying to teach him at such a young age.  
"After her death, it was the one thing that I always thought of. She wanted me to be a good man, and the day I turned 18 is the day I got these, in her memory."  
"And the flames?" I ask as I touch them gently.  
"My life wasn't the best after she died, and to top it all off, when my father found out what I did, well..." He pauses, and a part of me is afraid of what he might say next. "I was in a dark place for a really long time, and it made me hate what they represented; made me hate all the things I was certain I could never be. I wanted nothing more than to watch it all burn, so I set it on fire."

I feel my heart drop. "Four, I'm so sorry," I say.  
"Don't be. I'm not in that place anymore. I use the pain of it all though; let it serve as a reminder that one day I can be those things, if I try hard enough. I keep it covered because it feels too personal to share with just anyone."  
"You already are all those things," I say softly, blushing a bit that he wanted to share this with me.  
He turns around and gives me a small smile. "Thank you," he says.  
"You're welcome," I say. "I have a tattoo that nobody can see too." I feel a little awkward talking about it, as it's nowhere near as meaningful as his.  
"Besides these?" he says, touching my ravens.

My breath hitches in my throat for a moment at his touch, so I nod. I turn around and lift my tank up just enough. I feel his touch on the left side of my back, just underneath where my bra would sit. "Saturn?" he says.  
"Yeah. It's kinda my thing," I say. "It's nowhere as meaningful as yours, but it's my own personal story, I guess. Something just for me." I turn and touch my ravens. "My parents died in a car accident. That left just me and my brother. It hit me harder than it hit him, and he was already in college, so I was sort of left to deal with their death on my own. My father and I would go out every summer to the roof of the building he worked at, and take a telescope and look at the stars. Saturn was always my favorite thing to look at, and after their death, I got it, as a little piece of him."

"Then after I moved here, I really had this sort of empty feeling inside of me. I left our home, left my brother, left everything I ever knew. That's when I got these; one for each family member I left behind."

"Tris," he says softly. I take a step forward and wrap my arms around him. He shared something so personal with me and I him, and in this moment, I just felt the need to show my gratitude. He hesitates a split second before returning my embrace.  
"We should get back," I say.  
"Okay."

* * *

"Okay. The game is simple. You have to describe your underwear in one word, and we have to guess what they look like. Whoever guesses right, gets a shot, and whoever has the most shots, wins," Zeke says as he sets down a tray full of shot glasses and a bottle of vodka. We decided to spend our evening in one of the clubs. It's actually a dueling piano bar tonight, they just don't start until an hour from now.  
"And what do you mean by wins? Because drinking a bunch of shots is not my idea of winning," Christina says. I nod in agreement.

"Ahh, that's the fun part you see. You get to dole out all the shots however you like. You can dole them out evenly, or give them all to one person," Uriah says with a smirk.  
"Oh, I am so winning this," Christina says.  
"Okay then, why don't you go first," Zeke says.

She taps her finger on her chin for a minute before saying, "Autumn."  
"Orange," I say.  
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"  
"Aww. Not fair! You probably saw them this morning," Uriah whines.  
"She did not!" Christina defends as Zeke puts a shot in front of me. "Who's next?"  
"Tris, since you guessed right," Zeke answers.

My underwear are two different colors, so it takes me a moment to figure out a single word. "Cheshire," I say.  
The group looks at each other for a moment before Four speaks up. "Pink and purple," he says.  
"That is correct. I do believe that makes you next."  
"Forest," he says.  
"Green!" I shout. He smiles.  
"Since I already went, Marlene, you go."

"Okay," she says. "I'm going to have to go with, checkers."  
"Black and red!" Uriah and I both shout.  
"I don't know, I think I'm going to have to go with Tris on this one," Marlene says. "She was a split second faster than you."  
"Cheater," Uriah says as Zeke places another shot in front of me.

"Go on then, Uriah," I say.  
"Lumberjack," he says.  
The table bursts into laughter as Zeke says, "Plaid!" and pours himself a shot.

In the end, I win with the three shots. I make sure to give everyone a single shot, including myself, and we start the game over again, this time guessing favorite colors.

After a few rounds, we are sufficiently relaxed enough to head out to the dance floor. I can't dance to save my soul, so I stand off to the side and watch everyone do their thing.  
"What, no dancing?" Four says as he comes up next to me.  
"Not exactly one of my strong suits," I say.  
"Well, come on then. You and I can have no rhythm together." I smile as he drags me a little further into the crowd.

The song changes, and while it's an upbeat remix of a slow song, it's still on the slower side from what they've been playing. Four gestures to me, and says, "Middle school dance?"  
I laugh. "Okay." I put my arms around his neck, and he puts his hands on my waist.  
Four leans down just a little bit, and at first I'm not sure what's going on, but when I realize he's singing, I listen closely to the lyrics. It's a song I know, and listening to him absentmindedly sing along sends a jolt of electricity through me.

_Not really sure how to feel about it._  
 _Something in the way you move_  
 _Makes me feel like I can't live without you._  
 _It takes me all the way.  
_ _I want you to stay_

The song ends and we sit back down at our table because it's finally showtime. The two pianists introduce themselves, and we have a great time singing along to all the songs we know. I can't stop myself from sneaking looks at Four, and each time, he is already looking at me. As much as I went through in my last relationship, I decide that there are times that it's worth forgetting about.

I reach under the table and take Four's hand in mine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Stay" by Rihanna.
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who is following and leaving reviews. You guys are awesome and it always makes my day to hear from you!


	9. Chapter 9

**Day 8**

"I have an idea!" Uriah proclaims at breakfast.  
"Oh god, now what," Marlene says. He just smiles and lays out a pamphlet in the middle of the table. I look at it, but it's upside down, so I can't really make out exactly what it is.

"Water slides?" Zeke says.  
"Yeah, man! On the other side, the back part where all the family stuff is, there's a kids area full of slides and stuff."  
"Uriah, it's a kids area. Meaning you have to be a kid to go in there," Marlene says.  
"Oh come on. It's worth trying to sneak in. It looks like a blast."  
It does look like fun, and we all agree that after breakfast, we're going to do whatever we can to get in there.

"Hi," Marlene says to the guys working the entrance.  
"Hey," he says with a smile.  
"So, I was wondering if maybe my friends and I could go in here today."  
"It's supposed to be 13 and under," he says. She looks back at us and makes a pouty face, and we follow suit.  
"I see adults in there," she says.  
"They have kids."

She reaches out and runs her finger down the guys chest. I could never do something like that, which is why I'm here in the back, slightly blushing. "We could have kids too, or siblings even," she says as she leans into the guy.  
He stutters a bit before saying, "Okay," and handing each of us a wristband.  
"Oh, there's four more of us, they just haven't made it here yet," she says with a smile. He nods and hands her four more wristbands. "Thanks," she says and gives him a peck on the cheek.

"Got it!" she yells out, and the boys come out from around the corner. She hands them their wristbands and gives the guy working the entrance a wink. He sits there, mouth open as we make our way into the little water park.

"You're bad," Shauna says.  
"What? If some guys wants to give me something because I bat my eyes at him, that's his bad."  
Shauna rolls her eyes, but says no more. She did get us in, after all.

We run as a group up to the first slide, and after that, it's a free for all. Four, Christina, Will and I stick together, and find a group of kids to tag along with. They tell us about some water cannons, so of course that's the first place we head off too.

There's five pairs, set up across from each other. We take one side, and the kids take the other. It's a continuous stream, sort of like those fill the balloon games at carnivals, only much larger. We each pick a kid and take aim. The kids love it, and they get their fair share of cannon water on us as well. A loud buzzing noise interrupts us after a few minutes, and a countdown from 20 starts over a loudspeaker.

"What's that?" Will asks.  
"Come on! Hurry!" the kids yell, and we waste no time running after them. "Stand here!" they shout.  
We do, and when the countdown reaches one, a loud bomb noise goes off, and a giant bucket of water overturns right above us. I don't know who shrieked louder, the kids, or Christina.  
"Oh my god!" she yells out. "I was not expecting that!"  
The kids point and laugh at her, and we chase them back to the water cannons.

They tell us about a slide at the back of the little park that just drops you without any warning, so we follow them back there. The rest of the gang sees us as we head back and follows. It's for kids, so it's only two stories, but that doesn't make it any less scary. You stand on a platform with your back against the wall, and suddenly the platform falls out from beneath you, and you slide almost straight down into a pool.

"I'm going first!" Zeke yells, but the little kids push their way in front of him. "Man, these are some cool kids," he says as we wait in line. "Lousy cheating cutters, but cool."  
I must say, I'm freaking out a little bit. I don't like the idea of being out of control and not knowing when I'm going to drop, but it's almost my turn and I'm not about to back out now. Four is just in front of me, and I laugh when he lets out an "Oh shit!" as he falls.

I step into the little cubby, and lean against the back wall as I'm told. I take a deep breath in in anticipation for the drop, but nothing happens. I let it out and inhale again, but nothing happens. I'm just about to turn and ask the guy if something is wrong when the floor drops out. I don't even have time to scream or think; it's quick and suddenly I'm under water. I kick and flail my way to the top, letting out a laugh when I get my head above water. As I swim to the edge, Four is waiting with a smile and helping hand.  
"There's that look again," he says as he pulls me from the water, and I smile.

We wait for everyone else to go before following the kids again. They man the water guns while we take turns trying to run through them, laughing and failing every time at dodging the spray. When a crew member comes up to us and asks us who we're with, the kids lie and say we're with them; we buy them each a snow cone as thanks. We hear the countdown start again, and watch as the kids convince the others to follow them. We follow and wait with them too, because what's the point if you're not going to get soaking wet? The bomb goes off, and we laugh as the others are taken by surprise by the bucket of water.  
"I'm going to get you for that!" Zeke yells at Four, and they take off running.  
"I'm not sure who's the bigger kid here, the kids, or them," Marlene says pointing to the boys who are now all chasing each other around.  
"They're equal," Shauna says.

We spend a few more hours chasing kids around, chasing each other around, and generally goofing off in the kid area before calling it a day.

"I'm exhausted," Marlene says. "I'm going to call an early night."  
"Me too," Uriah says with a wink.  
"Early night my ass," Zeke says and takes off running when Uriah chases after him.

Most of the gang decides to just do their own thing tonight, and that leaves me and Four together again.  
"Want to grab dinner?" he asks me.  
"Sure. Let me shower and change first. Come get me in an hour?"  
"Okay."

"Girl, what are you going to wear?" Christina asks as she rifles through my things.  
"Whatever. It's not like a date, date. It's just dinner."  
"Yeah, okay. You keep telling yourself that. He clearly like you, Tris, and you like him too. It won't kill you to dress it up a bit."  
"It won't kill me to dress it down, either," I say.  
She rolls her eyes at me, but plants a kiss on my cheek and hops in the shower. I smile, but still choose to be comfortable; leggings, flats and a sun dress.

When Four arrives, he's in jeans and a t-shirt, and I motion to what he's wearing while looking at Christina. "Oh, okay. You win. Go have fun," she says.  
"She was trying to get me to dress up," I say when I see the look on Four's face.  
"Ahh," he says. "Well, either way, you still look nice."  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome."

We have dinner at The Burger Bar. You create your own burger on a touch screen, and a waiter brings it to your table. I'm not too creative, just adding black olives on top of the usual basics to mine, but Four adds a fried egg, bacon and onion straws to his.

"That actually looks good," I say when they arrive. "The whole egg thing threw me off, but now that I see it, I kinda want to eat it."  
"You want half? I can share," he says.  
"No way. I can't eat all of that."  
"Here, look." He cuts his burger in half, and then takes my plate and does the same, switching out one half for the other. "There," he says. I smile and take a bite of his burger.  
"Oh god, that's good," I say with my mouth full.  
He laughs and takes a bite of mine. "This isn't half bad either." We make some small talk, but mostly we stuff our faces full of burger perfection and seasoned fries.

"I think I could eat here every day," I say when I'm finished.  
"Same," he says. "Dessert?"  
"Oh no. I don't have any more room."  
"Okay. Rain check?"  
"Rain check," I say.

We take a walk afterwards, and before long, we find ourselves in a part of the ship neither one of us has seen before.  
"This must be where all the rich people stay," I say as I look around at the fancy decor; golden chandeliers with golden flowers, chase loungers with silk pillows and flowers embroidered on them, floral themed artwork. "We probably shouldn't be here."  
"Don't worry about it," he says with a smile. "We won't get in trouble."

We're walking down a long corridor by ourselves and find that it dead ends in a glass door with dark tint. A large tree, dozens of flowers, and the word  _Amity_  is cut intricately into the tint, allowing what's inside to be just barely visible.  
"What is this?" I say as I open the doors. The blast of cool, fresh air hits me, and I am in awe. "It's an atrium," I say breathlessly. There are butterflies flying around, and I see a couple of birds chasing each other. "Did you know this was here?"  
"No," he says as he looks around. "It doesn't seem small either. Want to check it out?"  
"Sure," I say.

We take our time walking around, stopping to read the plaques for each tree, bush and flower. "My favorite," I say as we reach a group of lilies.  
"Which type is your favorite?" Four asks.  
"Stargazer, of course," I say, pointing to the pink and white flower. He gives me a smile and takes my hand, pulling me further down the pathway, until we finally reach the end.  
"We're pretty far in here, and nobody else is," he says. I look at him, but he's looking at the tree in front of us. "Want to climb it?"  
I look up and see that this tree would be an easy climb. "Sure," I say.

He lets me go first, and I go up a few branches until I find one that looks comfortable enough to hold the both of us. I sit further away from the trunk, allowing Four to be up against something. I'm not sure how his fear of heights works and I want him to be comfortable. He sits with his back to the trunk, legs dangling over each side of the branch, and gives me that small smile that I know is a thank you.

"So," he says, "Tell me something about you."  
"Anything?" I ask. He nods.  
"Okay. Well, I don't like chocolate ice cream."  
"What? Chocolate is the best!" he says.  
I shake my head and scrunch my nose. "I don't like it. I don't mind like chocolate cake, and some chocolate candy, but there's something about ice cream. I prefer vanilla," I say. "Okay, your turn."  
"I love chocolate ice cream," he says with a grin.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Something I don't already know," I say.  
"Okay. How about, I'm glad I met you."  
"I said something I don't know."  
"Fine, fine," he says looking down. "I would like to kiss you."

I stare at him for a moment, heart pounding, and run what he just said over again in my mind. When he finally looks up at me, I smile. "I would like to kiss you too."

He smiles, and leans forward. I laugh and blush, because I'm a little too far away for anything to really work. "Hang on," I say as I scoot closer to him. "Let's try that again." He leans forward and finds my lips. It's a quick, sweet kiss, and when he pulls away, I swear he's blushing a little. I smile, and he places a hand on my cheek, pulling me towards him. He kisses me again, and there is more passion in it; I've had a handful of first kisses, but none of them have ever made me feel like this before. My heart is pounding and my head is foggy, allowing me to concentrate on one thing only; his full, warm lips. When he pulls away, it takes me a moment to catch my breath. His lips are red, and I imagine mine are too.

I scoot as close as I can and lean into him, closing the gap between us. "Four, I don't think I've said it, but I'm glad I met you too." He kisses the top of my head as he wraps his arms around me, and I am content to stay like this for as long as I can.


	10. Chapter 10

**Day 9**

I hear a light knock on the door; it's just enough to rouse me, but not enough to wake Christina. It's still dark, and I fumble for my phone to check the time. I roll out of bed and crack the door.

"Four? What are you doing? It's early," I say through a yawn.  
"I know, and I'm sorry. I wanted to watch the sun rise, and I was wondering if you wanted to watch too."  
I smile at how cute the thought is. "Okay. Let me get dressed."

We head up to the deck, and see that we're not the only people up this early; there are a handful of other couples doing the same thing.  
"I know it's not as cool as watching the sun set into the ocean, but I wanted to see it anyways," he says as we lean against the railing.  
"I don't think I've ever watched a sunrise, to be honest," I say. "It's always the sunsets."  
"Yeah. There's something different though about a sunrise. You know you have the whole day ahead of you, a whole day to go on an adventure, or take a risk or meet someone new," he smiles as he says this. "Sometimes you just really look forward to what a new day can bring."

I give Four a small smile and lean into him, looping my arm through his. We both look out into the pink-purple sky and watch as it turns to reds and oranges before finally allowing the sun to break free.  
"So what's the plan for the day?" I ask. "I know Uriah and Zeke are always coming up with something."  
"I don't know. I don't think there are any plans," he says.  
"I vote for another lazy day. We'll be going into the city again tomorrow and who knows what that will bring."  
"True. I think a lazy day is just what we need."

We head back and wake everyone up early, just because we can.

"Tell me why we are up at this ungodly hour again," Marlene says over breakfast. "We're on vacation. We're not supposed to see 7 am unless we stayed up all night."  
"We're having a lazy day today," I say. "And since Four and I were up, you guys get to be up to. Now eat so we can go to the pool."

Nobody does much of anything, just small talk and lying in the sun. Zeke falls asleep first, and Uriah is all too happy to coax a bucket away from a crew member and use it to dump water all over him.  
"I think it's nap time, and I'm going back to our room," Shauna declares as she points at a dripping wet Zeke. "And you're coming with me."  
"Yes M'am," Zeke says with a salute and a grin.  
"Speaking of," Christina whispers to me. "I wouldn't mind spending a little alone time with Will, and he's rooming with Uriah, so..."  
"So you want me to get lost for a while," I say.  
"Well not when you put it like that, Tris."  
"It's fine. I'll just stay out here or find somewhere else to go," I say, feeling a little pushed aside.

"You need somewhere to go?" Four says from the other side of me. "Why?"  
"Oh, it's nothing. Just Christina and Will. I'm fine, really," I say, yawning again. Truthfully, I would really love to crash in bed right about now.  
"You can come to my room, if you want."  
I feel myself flush a bit. "Oh, no. Thanks, but I'm fine."  
"Tris," Christina says. "Go. Take a nap," she says with a wink and a smile. It fades quickly when she sees the look on my face.  
"It's okay. I don't mind. I was honestly thinking about taking a nap too," he says.

I follow Four to his room. This level is different from the one the rest of us stay on. It's quieter, and slightly fancier, and I cringe at the memory of commenting how the other floor like this must be where all the rich people stay. "How come you're on this level?" I ask.  
"My father insists that I don't 'stay with the commoners'," he says. When I give him a look, he sighs. "He's a politician, so nothing but the best for him, and since I am an extension of him, he insists on making me stay in the nicer rooms of wherever we go. His words, not mine, by the way."  
"Oh," I say. The small amount of venom that pops up in Fours voice when he talks about his father isn't lost on me, but I don't think now is the time to bring it up.

He slides his keycard into the lock and gestures for me to go first when he opens to door. "Wow. This is a nice room," I say. There's a king size bed, a giant flat screen TV, a small kitchen and a lounge area. "It's almost like a tiny apartment." I frown, thinking of the gross mystery stain in my room.  
Four shrugs. "It's a room. It's overkill, if you ask me. I just sleep in it."

I give him a smile, and kick off my flip-flops before running and belly flopping into his bed. "God, even the sheets are softer," I say as I bunch them up beneath me. "I'm staying here from now on."  
"That's fine with me," he says. I roll over and look at him, and he gives me a small smile. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll take the couch."  
"Oh Four, no. This is your room. I'll take the couch." He leans down over me and gives me a kiss on my forehead before snagging a pillow and laying down on the couch. I smile and wrap myself up in the comforter before passing out.

I crack an eye when hear a dinging noise, but close it again, in favor of sleep. A few minutes later I hear it again, and I realize it's my phone. I fish it out of my pocket and look at the screen; five texts from Christina.

_-Where are you?_

_-Are you with Four still?_

_-Tris, are you being a good girl, or a naughty girl? ;P_

_-Tris, for real. Text me back. We're making plans._

_-TRIS._

I sigh and text her back.

_-I'm alive and I was sleeping rather well, thank you._

_-Oh thank god. Listen, everyone wants to go to this place called The Candor Club. There's some hypnotist or something, so come get ready and tell Four. Dinner is at 5:30 and the show is at 7._

I finally look at the time and it's almost 4. "Holy shit," I say sitting up.  
"What?" Four says from the couch. He's watching TV with the volume down low.  
"Why didn't you wake me up? I just took like a 5 hour nap!"  
He shrugs. "You looked so relaxed and comfortable I didn't want to bother you. Texts?"  
"Yeah," I say. "They want to see a hypnotist. Dinners at 5:30 so I'm supposed to go and get ready. Shows at 7."  
"Okay," he says as he gets up and heads towards the door.

I slip on my shoes and head out the door. When I turn to say goodbye to Four, he's closing the door behind him; I give him a puzzled look. "Let's go," he says.  
"I can walk back by myself. I'll be okay," I say.  
"I know," he says with a smile, and starts walking down the corridor without me. I smile and hurry to catch up.

"Spill it," Christina says as soon as I close the door.  
"Spill what?"  
"You know damn well what."  
"Nothing happened. I literally fell asleep 10 minutes after I walked into his room, which makes this place look like a cardboard box by the way, and you woke me up with your texts."  
"Mmmhmm," she says as she looks me up and down.  
"When have I ever lied to you Chris?"  
"Okay, valid point. Now get in the shower. We have to look cute tonight."

She helps me do my hair and makeup, and lays out an outfit for me to wear. "These aren't mine," I say as I hold up a pair of shorts and a cropped sweater.  
"I know. But they're cute and I think you would look cute in them and the plan of the night is to _be_  super cute, so put them on."  
I roll my eyes but put them on anyways. I can never fault Christina when it comes to clothes.

"You look nice," Four says when I open the door.  
"Thank you," I say, blushing a little. "You look nice too."

Just as we're leaving our room, we hear the rest of our group coming down the corridor. "Good, you're ready. I'm starving. I worked up an appetite this afternoon," Uriah says. This time it's Zeke who smacks him on the arm.  
"Ow!" he says as he scowls at his brother and rubs his arm. "Fine. I just won't talk anymore if this is how you're going to treat me."  
Zeke bursts out into laughter, and the rest of us do too.

We make our way back to The Burger Bar Four and I ate at yesterday. "I know exactly what I'm ordering," I say as I take the touch menu and start typing. When our food arrives, I see Four has ordered my burger, while I ordered his. I smile and cut my burger in half. He does the same and we swap out halves.

"That is both the cutest and most disgusting thing I have ever seen," Zeke says.  
"Oh shut it," Shauna says. "The only reason we don't do anything like that is because you have the weirdest taste buds ever."  
"What the hell is wrong with my taste buds?" Zeke asks, sounding offended.  
"That," she says, pointing to his burger. "Let's see. Jalapeños, BBQ sauce, pickles, lettuce and mayo. Oh, and a side of ranch to dip it in. Absolutely disgusting."  
"What? It's good," Zeke says just before taking a big bite.  
"I am so sorry you have to kiss that mouth," Four says, and we all crack up at the look on Zeke's face.  
"Hey now, don't be jealous," Zeke says, winking and blowing air kisses at Four. We laugh again before we are interrupted.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" I hear a familiar voice say. I stop mid-chew and turn to see the only thing that could ruin my night; Eric.  
"What do you want, Eric?" Christina says.  
"Nothing. I can't visit my girl?"  
"I'm not your girl," I say quietly.  
"Really? Then why do we have a room booked together?" he asks smugly.  
"That was done a long time ago, and you know that," I say.  
"Well, just reminding you then that your side of the bed is there, waiting for you," he says before he takes a look around the table. His eyes linger for a moment on Four before he leaves.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I say.  
"Who the hell was that?" Uriah asks. "Do we need to kick the shit out of him?"  
"No! No, just leave it alone. It's not worth it, really. Just a big, big mistake that won't seem to go away," I say.

I feel Four place his hand on my back and rub gently. He leans in and whispers, "Don't apologize for  _that_  ever again. Whatever happened, it isn't your fault. And hey," he says, as he places a finger under my chin and angles my face towards his, "I'm here for you too. We're all here, okay?"  
"Thank you," I say, and I give him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Woooo," Marlene yells and the others join in. I blush immediately, but I really am thankful that they're all here, even if they are teasing me.

* * *

When the show starts the hypnotist asks for volunteers. Zeke and Uriahs hands shoot up immediately, and they are both chosen to go on stage.  
"This is going to be hilariously embarrassing," Shauna says as she takes out her phone. "I'm recording every second of it."

There are a total of 12 people on stage, and once they're put under, we're informed that this isn't just a regular hypnotist show, this is a dirty hypnotist show. We hoot and scream, knowing full well that this just got better.

The show starts normally enough, making the volunteers do things like run a marathon in place and bark like dogs. He makes the men think they're nine months pregnant and going into labor, while the women act like men and don't have a clue what to do. Some assistants bring out chairs, and he has them all sit down. He tells them that he can make them have the greatest orgasm of their life with a single touch of his finger, and as he goes down the line, each person indeed makes like they're having an orgasm -a fantastic one at that- and it is hilarious.

They then have to pretend the chair is their partner, and make love to it. Zeke immediately rips his shirt off, and the hypnotist has to quickly tell them to leave their clothes on. I can see Shauna is practically dying of embarrassment as Zeke flips the chair over and starts going to town on it.  
"Holy shit, Shauna!" Marlene says with tears running down her face. "Please tell me he's exaggerating!" Shauna doesn't say anything and we laugh even harder.

They are taken backstage, and when they're brought back out, they have on a bunch of extra clothes. The hypnotist pairs them up and makes them each do a strip tease for the other. Uriah was paired up with a man who looks like he is at least 50 years old.  
"That old man's got some moves!" Will says, and it's true. He puts Uriah, and almost everyone else on stage to shame as he pulls off the extra clothes he's wearing.

There are a few more embarrassing things the hypnotist does, like ask them what their favorite body part is on themselves, and on the opposite sex, and makes them 'talk dirty' into the microphone. I have tears streaming down my face, and I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard.

The last thing that happens is the significant others of each person is asked to come down on stage. He promises they won't be hypnotized, and Shauna hands me her phone as she and Marlene go.

They hypnotist tells them to turn to their significant other, and tell them their favorite thing about them, and then they can wake up. One by one, each person says something, and wakes up.

Zeke turns to Shauna and says, "Shauna, my favorite thing about you is how you love me. You don't care if I'm basically a giant child, you still respect me and I love you for that." The audience aww's, and Zeke looks around in confusion. "Did it work?" he says. Shauna gives him a kiss and when the audience aww's again, he gives them a thumbs up.

When it's Uriah's turn, he simply states, "I love your body and your face." Marlene elbows him in his ribs just as he's waking up, and he looks around in confusion as the audience laughs.

When the show is over, we're bombarded with questions about what happened. "Well, we know how you fuck chairs," Christina says.  
Both boys stare with wide eyes, and Zeke says, "Please tell me someone recorded this."  
"I did!" Shauna says as I hand her her phone.

On our way out of the club, we hear some music, and really awful singing. "Ooh yes! Karaoke! Let's do it, please!" Christina says.  
"No way. I sound like a dying whale," Marlene responds.  
"No you don't," Uriah says with a smile, but she gives him a look that could kill.  
"No, really," Will says. "Let's do it. Sounds fun."

We find an empty table and start looking through the song list. Zeke and Uriah take no time rushing up to the stage. They both clear their throats very seriously, and as equally serious perform "You're The One That I Want" from Grease; Zeke is Danny and Uriah is Sandy, and they both are unsurprisingly fantastic. I flip through the songbook afterwards, trying to find a duet to sing with Christina that might one-up the boys, when Four quietly slips out of his chair and heads to the stage. I stop to watch as the current guy singing finishes up and Four takes the mic. The music starts and I recognize it instantly; it's one of my favorite songs, and I wonder if he somehow knew.

_All I am is a man_  
 _I want the world in my hands_  
 _I hate the beach_  
 _But I stand_  
 _In California with my toes in the sand_  
 _Use the sleeves of my sweater_  
 _Let's have an adventure_  
 _Head in the clouds but my gravity's centered_  
 _Touch my neck and I'll touch yours  
_ _You in those little high-waisted shorts, oh_

I'm listening intently; Four doesn't actually sound half bad, when Christina nudges me. She has a big grin on her face and she's pointing at me. I look down and realize what she's grinning about. My shorts, specifically, the high-waisted ones Christina made me wear. I smile.

_She knows what I think about_  
 _And what I think about_  
 _One love, two mouths_  
 _One love, one house_  
 _No shirt, no blouse_  
 _Just us, you'll find out  
_ _Nothing that I wouldn't wanna tell you about, no_

_'Cause it's too cold_  
 _For you here and now_  
 _So let me hold  
_ _Both your hands in the holes of my sweater_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> Song is "Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood.


	11. Chapter 11

**Day 10**

"Hello, Puerto Vallarta!" Marlene says as she steps off the boat. "God, it feels good to be on land again."  
"Where to first?" Shauna asks as we gather on the dock.  
"I want to do the actual swim with the dolphins thing," Christina says. "The guide for that leaves in 30 minutes."  
"Sounds good to me," Shauna says.

We find the right tour bus and pile on. This particular place is part aquarium, part natural cove where you're allowed to swim with dolphins, turtles, and sting rays.

When we arrive, we sign up for a private swim time and take a walk through the aquarium. We spend some time at the touch pond, before moving on to my favorite area, the sea horses.

"Look at this little guy," I say to Four. "How can you not like sea dragons? They're so cool. And they're  _dragons_."  
"Look, there's one hiding in that kelp."  
"Where?" I bend down and look where he's pointing. His face is inches from mine, and when I feel him looking at me, I turn my head and am surprised with a kiss.  
"Was there even a sea dragon?" I ask.  
"I'll never tell," he says with a grin. I take his hand in mine, and we continue through the aquarium, looking at the various marine life until it's our swim time.

We head to the sea experience early so we can get changed into our wetsuits.  
"A few rules," one of the trainers who's going in with us announces. "First, be nice. These guys are not going to hurt you in any way, so there's no need to be mean to them or freak out. Second, you must listen to what I say. That means if I say out of the water, you do it immediately, no questions asked. And last, have fun. These guys are all very sociable, and are used to human interaction, so don't be alarmed if they don't leave you alone, got it?" We nod. "Good. And you guys chose the right time. At the end of your session is feeding time, so you can stick around if you want and help feed the dolphins."  
"Ooh, yay!" Christina says.

We follow him through a set of double doors and hop right into the ocean.

Right away a giant sea turtle surfaces right in front of me. "Oh!" I say, a bit startled. "Hello there cutie! What's your name?"  
"That's Filburt," the trainer calls out to me. "He likes his shell scratched." I give him a look, but reach out and run my fingernails over his shell. Sure enough, he flaps his flippers in and out of the water, and I swear he has a smile on his face.  
"He loves you," Four says as he swims up to me. "He knows you were nice to his cousin in Cabo."  
"Aww, I love you too, Filburt," I say.

Filburt swims away, so Four and I make our way over to Christina, who is already busy with a dolphin.  
"This is Daphne," she says as we swim up. "Watch this." She moves her hand up and down, and Daphne bobs her head up and down. "Good girl Daphne!" she says, and rubs her snout. Daphne responds with a series of clicks and squeaks, and the trainer tosses her a fish. The trainer hops in the water with us, and shows us how to hold on to Daphne while she swims, and we take turns being towed around the cove.

"Here," another one says as we sit along some of the rocks afterwards. "Take this octopus and hold it out flat in your hand. The sting ray will come up and eat it."  
"No! Not for me! Nope," I say as I scoot quickly away from Four and the trainer. He laughs and takes the small octopus from her and holds his hand out.  
"It's already dead," he says.  
"Don't care. I can watch you feed it," I say.

A few minutes pass, and when the sting ray approaches, Four lays his hand out flat in the water, and the sting ray sucks the octopus right out of his hand. "Oh jeez. That was weird," he says. "It like, vacuumed it off my hand. Try it, Tris," he says as he holds out another octopus in my direction with a smirk on his face.  
"No way!" I say as I scoot even further away.

The sting ray thinks everyone has food now, and he comes right up and glides along my body. I feel his mouth suck along my arm and resist the urge to shove him off. "These guys are cool, but I don't think I like this whole sucking business," I say as I swim away. "I'm going to find Filburt again."

After our hour is up, the trainers bring out a couple buckets full of fish, and we feed the dolphins. "Bye Daphne!" Christina yells just before we leave, and Daphne rolls onto her side and waves a fin at us.

"I want a Dolphin. Can we get a dolphin when we get back, Tris?" Christina says after we change back into our clothes.  
"Yes. As long as it fits in the bathtub," I say.  
"I knew I kept you around for a reason. You let me do whatever I want," she says with a wink before running over to Will.

"That's a lie," I hear from behind me. I turn and see Four.  
"A lie?" I say.  
"Well, not a  _lie_ , lie. She keeps you around because she loves you. It's obvious to anyone with eyes how much she cares about you."  
I smile. "I don't know about love."  
"Tris, she loves you. Everybody loves you."  
"I don't know about everybody, either" I say, suddenly realizing how fast my heart is beating. This isn't the first time Four has made a comment like this.  
"No Tris, everybody," he says quietly. I feel the heat radiating off my ears, and am thankful when Uriah brings up lunch.

There is a nice restaurant inside of the aquarium, so we eat there. After lunch, we take a tour bus to the base of a hill, and hop on burros for a tour of a nearby bird sanctuary located throughout the hillside. We are able to take pictures with a couple of monkeys that live there too, as well as an extremely friendly toucan before heading into an area where the bird population is dense. The guide points out the various birds that live here and gives us each a cup of nectar; we are instantly swarmed with birds trying to drink it. They come from all directions and land on us, dipping their tongues in the cups and enjoying themselves as we pet them. When a bird poops on Shauna's arm, we crack up at how badly she freaks out. Even the guide is having a hard time keeping a straight face as he hands her a towel.

I grab my phone and take a couple of pictures on the way back down; the trees break occasionally and there is a fantastic ocean view. When Four's burro comes up right next to mine, I lean over and take a picture of the two of us too; I immediately make it my lock screen wallpaper.

When we reach the bottom, we wait for the photographs, and laugh at Uriah's monkey picture when it comes out; one of them refused to get off his head, and the look on Uriah's face is priceless.

We already had dinner reservations set at a restaurant called Azul, so we head back to the ship to shower quick and change before meeting back on the beach.

"Welcome to Azul," the hostess says. "Please follow me to your table."  
"Are you kidding me?" Christina says as we are led onto the beach. "This is amazing."

We are seated around a hibachi grill just a few feet from the breaking ocean waves. After taking our order, the chef comes out and does his show, complete with setting the grill on fire, flipping knives around each other, and tossing a shrimp into Zeke's mouth. The food is excellent.

"Look at that," Marlene says. "The sun is going down right there into the ocean, and the sky is so beautiful, and I just want this moment to last forever."  
I smile at her before turning to Four. He opens his mouth to say something, but closes it quickly and smiles, and I can't help but reach out and take his hand.

We take our time talking and having a couple of drinks before deciding to go off and do things on our own.

"Want to take a walk?" Four asks me.  
"Sure," I say. I'm actually surprised how empty the beach is on this beautiful night, but it's nice. It makes me feel like we're the only two people left in the world.

We hold our shoes and walk for a while in the surf. "I don't think I could ever get sick of the ocean," I say.  
"I know. It's one of my favorite places to be. I could listen to the waves crash all day long."  
"Oh? So you don't hate the beach?" I ask  
"No. Why would you think that?"  
"Well, you sang about it," I say, a playful smile on my face.

He stops, looking confused for a moment before realizing what I'm talking about. "Oh. Nope. Not the reason I chose that song."  
"What was the reason, then?"  
"Well for starters, it's one of my favorite songs. But honestly?" he says, bring a hand up to my cheek, "I can't stop thinking about you; about your lips on mine, about the fact that, well, you were  _actually_  wearing high-waisted shorts, about taking my shirt off, and maybe...," he trails off.  
"Maybe," I say as I twist his shirt in my hand and pull him into me.

He drops his shoes and wraps his arms around me tight, and I follow suit. I can feel the strength and the passion and the electricity in every movement we make; his hands explore every inch of my back and my fingers find their way into his hair, alternating between soft, playful movements and holding on tight in hopes that he never lets go. We kiss until my lips are numb, and even then, I don't want it to stop. I finally pull away, and smile when I hear him shudder a breath and move his head forward ever so slightly, his lips aching for more.

"Not so fast," I say. His eyes burn with desire, but he nods and takes my hands in his before leaning down and resting his forehead against mine.  
"I feel like I should say something, but I'm not even sure I could find the right words," he says.  
"I know the feeling." I look into his eyes and there's something there. I don't quite know how to describe it, but I do know that whatever it is, I feel the same way. I lean up and kiss him again, slowly.

I run my hands up his stomach and over his chest before bringing them back down and tugging gently on the hem of his shirt. He takes my hands and pushes them up just underneath his shirt. I pull away just a little to take in a sharp breath; I feel him smile against my mouth, and I smile too.  
"Come on," he whispers. I watch as he turns and runs waist deep out into the ocean, and I laugh and do the same.

I don't care about anything except this moment. We laugh and splash water on each other, and I let out a yelp when a piece of seaweed gets wrapped around my leg. We kiss again in the water, and it feels natural; like this is what I was meant to be doing all along, and when his hand finds bare skin, I don't mind. In fact, I welcome it. His touch has become a comfort I don't think I've ever experienced.

I'm nervous and don't say much as we walk back to the ship. There are things I wouldn't mind happening and I'm sure Four feels the same way, but I'm still unsure of the timing. I'm still having to put up with everything that's happened with Eric and I don't know that I want to drag another person into it; it wouldn't be fair.

I'm genuinely surprised when he takes me on deck, and finds one of the loungers that fits two people. He drags it next to the railing, and lays down, motioning for me to do the same. We lay side by side, quiet for some time, just listening to the people come and go behind us and the faint sounds of the waves crashing on the beach nearby. Eventually he turns to face me, and I do the same. He runs his fingers through my hair, over my cheek, down my arm and back again. I shiver as I close my eyes; even his soft touch make me feel more alive than I've ever felt before. He scoots as close as he can and kisses me softly on the tip on my nose before pressing his forehead to mine.

"Tris," he whispers, "I think I might be falling for you."  
My heart pounds in my chest, partly from nerves, but mostly because I think I feel the same way too. "Might?" I whisper back.  
"Okay," he says as he tips my face up and looks me in the eyes. "Maybe I already have."  
When I don't say anything back, he just smiles. "It's getting late and you're cold. Let's get you home."

I had the intention of saying goodnight and staying in my room, but walking hand in hand down the corridor has made me throw that idea right out the window. We only have four days left, and I want to spend as much time with Four as possible.  
"Wait here," I say when we get to my room. I quickly change out of my wet clothes and throw on a tank and the pair of cut off sweats I like to sleep in.

"Hi," I say when I come back into the hallway.  
"Hey."  
"Would it be okay if I stayed with you tonight?"  
He nods slowly and smiles, taking my hand as he leads me down the hallway.

I lie in Four's bed while he changes. Even though I've seen him without a shirt, it still catches me off guard when he comes out in just basketball shorts.  
"I'll take the couch," he says as he lays his wet clothes out on a chair.  
"No," I say. "You don't have to." He looks at me for a moment, and I pull back the covers. "Please?"

He takes a step forward, seeming unsure at first, but when he climbs into bed, he wraps him arms around me tight and buries his face in my neck. "I hope you don't mind, but I have a surprise for you tomorrow," he whispers. The feel of his breath against my skin alone is enough to make me forget everything, even if only for a moment.  
"W-what kind of surprise?" I manage to stammer out, and I feel him smile against me.  
"Ah, ah. No hints at all. You're just going to have to wait and see."  
"Okay."

I kiss him softly on the cheek before I turn over, and my heart skips a beat, not only for the way his arms close around me, but as I realize how perfectly I fit against him.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Day 11**

I've just finished getting ready, and when I head back to Four's room, I notice there is a box with a red bow on the table.  
"What is that?" I say, pointing.  
"I don't know. A crew member just delivered it. The card said congratulations on it, so I though that maybe it was our prize from the scavenger hunt."  
"Oh! I had completely forgotten about that. Open it!" He motions for me to do it, so I sit down at the table excitedly.

"Any bets on what it is?" I say, shaking the box as he sits down next to me. "I was going to say it's like a robe or something, but it's actually pretty heavy."  
"No idea, but hurry up. I'm dying to know what it is."  
I take off the red bow quickly, and my mouth falls open when I remove the lid of the box. "Oh, Four."

Inside is a photo album with a picture of the two of us on the front; I take it out and open it. As I flip page after page, I realize it's all the photos we took at the tide pool, and I smile. Me with my little turtle, Four pretending the octopus is killing him, me laughing and pointing at the camera- at Four. I also notice how many pictures there are of me that were taken when I wasn't paying attention. I look up at Four, and he's smiling too.

"You had fun with the camera, I see."  
He shrugs. "I had to capture the beautiful scenery."  
"This is amazing. But, who's going to keep it?"  
"You are," he says.  
"But if I keep it, how are you going to see it? It's yours too."  
"Well, I guess I'll just have to come and visit you if I want to look at it." I blush a little, and he adds, "Come on. We have a big day ahead of us."

"I still can't believe you won't tell me anything at all," I say as we make our way through the city. We've been driving for well over an hour, and I still have no clue where we could possibly be heading.  
"I told you, you'll see when we get there. Are you hungry?"  
"Yeah."  
"Good. Me too. There's a little town up here that one of the crew members told me about. We'll eat there."

Four turns onto a road that looks like it's going to take us up into a low mountain. After the first small hill, a town appears, and we pull up to what looks like a small house.  
"Are you sure this is it?" I ask.  
"This is where the guy told me to come. Hang on, I'll ask." Four knocks on the door and talks to the lady who answers it while my eyes wander for a moment. I stare at a church across the street, and watch the small children out front who seem to be learning a lesson from an elder. They are reciting something, and they way they hold each other's hands makes me think of the tattoo on Four's back.

"This is it," Four says, breaking my concentration.  
"Okay," I say, taking one last look.

The woman who answered the door, Rosa, speaks broken english, but she understands enough to hold a conversation with us while we wait on our food.  
"Can you tell me about that church?" I ask her.  
"La Iglesia de Abnegación," she says. "They give up everything for others. It is hard, but rewarding life."  
"Interesting," Four says. "So they don't do anything for themselves at all?"  
"No," Rosa replies. "Always for others. Giving not taking."  
"How long has the church been there?" I ask.  
"Since before I was a niña." She shrugs and adds, "It make everyone happy." She smiles and holds her finger up before she heads to the kitchen.

"I can't imagine giving up everything just to make others happy," I say. "I guess that makes me pretty selfish, doesn't it?"  
"No, Tris. It just makes you human." I reach out and take Four's hand, squeezing it when he gives me a little smile.

Rosa brings us our food, and it is delicious. Homemade tamales, rice and fresh churros for dessert.  
"Gracias," I say to Rosa as we get ready to leave.  
"De nada," she says with a smile. As I'm heading out the door, I hear her say to Four, "She is muy hermosa."  
"Si," Four says.

"What did she say?" I ask as we get back into our jeep.  
"She said you were beautiful, and I agreed," and for the millionth time since I met Four, I find myself blushing.

"I have a hard time trusting people," Four says, breaking the silence as we drive.  
"Really? I would have never known that. I mean, with your friends and all," I say. "Why?"  
"Well, in all fairness, it took me a long time to warm up to most of them," he says with a smile. "It's really because of my father though. After my mom died, things took a turn for the worse. He immersed himself in his work, ignoring me. Day and night it was politics and dinners with constituents and fundraisers, and none of it involved me. When he finally got a position in office, he had this sort of fake persona that he put on for the world to see, and that's when I was finally allowed to exist. He was sugar sweet in public, but behind closed doors...he was convinced that if I fucked up in the slightest, it was going to make him look bad, and that pissed him off. So he would take his anger out on me and try to correct anything he perceived as bad behavior."

"Correct?" I ask, having a feeling I know the answer already.  
"Yeah. He uhh," he looks at me, and the sadness in his eyes almost makes me wish he wasn't telling me this. "He would hit me. A lot. As a child, your parent is supposed to be the one you run  _to_  when you need them, not run away from. It messed me up for a while, made it hard for me to trust anything; still makes it hard to believe things are genuine and not just an act sometimes."  
"Oh Four. Why..." I trail off. I bite my lip for a moment before quietly asking, "Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because I like you Tris, but more importantly, I  _trust_  you, so I don't want to keep any secrets. Which brings me to another thing," he says, "Well, you know my name isn't Four."  
"Yeah," I say. "I know it's a nickname that you prefer. I always figured you'd tell us when you were ready." He smiles. "What is it, then?" I ask.  
"Tobias. Tobias Eaton."

"You know," I say, squinting at him, "You don't really look like a Tobias."  
"I don't? What do I look like, then?" He asks, but I only smile. "Only Zeke and Uriah know about my dad," he says after a minute.  
"Don't worry," I say as I reach out and take his hand. I squeeze it tight, and he does the same.

"Speaking of names, mine isn't  _actually_  Tris. It's Beatrice. Prior."  
"Beatrice? Yeah. You don't look like a Beatrice," he says with a laugh. I watch him for just a moment, and that sadness that was there is gone, like it never existed in the first place. He is stronger than I think even he knows. He is  _brave_.

"Now I get what you mean. So, tell me some more about yourself,  _Beatrice_." I purse my lips and try to yank my hand away, but he holds on tight, grinning.  
"Well,  _Tobias_ , I was 17 when my parents died, and my brother was 19 and in college, so I stayed with a friend, Christina. After high school, she got accepted out here, and I chose to stay in Chicago to be close to my brother, and close to my parents."

"And then I met Eric," I say with a sigh. "And it was okay at first. But I found out he was a dick, real quick, and I broke it off with him. He didn't take the break up too well; he shoved me on the ground and yelled all sorts of things that made me feel about two inches tall, and I believed him. Christina eventually convinced me to transfer out here and start over."  
"I'm sorry," he says. I look over at him, and see his jaw clench and unclench a few times.  
"Don't be. It's okay. I transferred, and things were fine. And then I found out he followed me out here. I'm honestly not even sure how he knew, but he gave me all sorts of apologies and excuses, and I believed those too, so I gave him a second chance. Which, as I'm sure you already know, was a huge mistake. It took no time for those old patterns to re-appear, and before I knew it, I was right back where I left off. So I broke it off, again, with Christina's help. It wasn't as bad as the first time, but every now and then, he or his friends will find their way into wherever I am and say horrific things, and it sucks. But I'm stronger now, and I'm not letting it get to me like it did before. Or at least, I'm trying," I say, taking a cue from earlier. If he can talk about being abused by his father and be okay, so can I.

"So you had planned the cruise when you were together then?"  
"Yeah. Christina and I were so looking forward to this though, and I didn't want to lose the money. The cruise line wouldn't give me a refund and then they refused to do anything to accommodate the situation, so she and I are crammed together in her room," I say with a chuckle.  
"Well, you already know I don't mind, but my bed is yours for the rest of the trip, if you want it."  
"Thank you," I say, and I squeeze his hand.

"So where does Four come from?"  
"Oh. My mom would always say that four was her lucky number. I never got a chance to ask her why, but when things started to get heated between my dad and I, I wanted to distance myself from him as much as possible. We had moved right before I started ninth grade, so new school, new identity. Four let's me be, well, me I guess, and it erases my dad from the picture completely."  
"Okay," I say.  
"Okay what?"  
"You prefer Four, and now I know why."  
"Tris, you don't have to call me that. When you're around it's...nice. It kinda makes me forget it all." I look over at him, and he shrugs, smiles, and turns his attention back to the road.

We're silent for the remainder of the drive, and when we reach our destination, I am completely shocked.  
"Tobias," I say, "How did you do this?"  
"You know, I think I like that," he says with a smile, "You calling me Tobias. And I have my ways."  
I hop out of the jeep and run up the steps of the observatory.

"Erudita," I say as I read the plaque next to the door. "What does it mean?"  
"It means knowledge through studying," a man says as he opens the door. "Hello, you must be Tris, and you must be Tobias. Please, come in." I look back at Tobias, but he just smiles.

"My name is Pedro, and I will be you astronomy guide for the evening."  
"Hello," I say anxiously as I reach out and shake his hand. "Tobias, how..."  
"I told you, I have my ways."

Pedro takes us on a small tour of the observatory, starting with the large telescope. "This is our primary telescope. Her name is Discovery, in English," he says with a smile. "With this telescope, we can change the lenses to get a close up view of each planet in the night sky, up to Neptune. Unfortunately, this old lady cannot see Uranus or Pluto with the lower lens, but she can go out further and see galaxies with the larger one."  
"You still consider Pluto a planet?" I say, grinning.  
"I sure do," he says with a smile. "Now follow me, and I will show you some photographs we have taken over the years.

He takes us into what looks like a conference room, and we sit at a table. A projection screen comes down, and a slide show starts. He tells us a little about each picture; binary stars, Jupiter, Mars, a supernova remnant.  
"Wow," I say. "I can't believe you took all these here. They're amazing." Tobias reaches over and places a hand on my back, and lean into him.  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome," he says, and kisses me on top of my head.

"The sun should be setting in about twenty minutes. If you want, we have a room that monitors the sun, and you can watch it set from there."  
"Okay," I say.

Pedro leads us to a room with a special monitor that has a large black circle in the middle of it and excuses himself. Tobias stands behind me and I reach back to find his hands, pulling his arms around me. He nestles into my neck and gives me a small kiss, and my heart skips a beat.  
"Tobias," I whisper, "I don't know how I can ever repay you for this."  
"You don't need to. Just seeing you like this is payment enough."

We watch the sun set on the monitor, and when we're left alone with nothing to do, I turn and kiss him. His lips are soft and warm, and they feel like the best place on Earth right now.

"Ahem," I hear, and I pull away, blushing instantly.  
"Sorry," I say.  
"No need to apologize to me," Pedro says with a smile. "Now, what would you like to see first?"  
"Surprise me," I say.

We follow Pedro back to Discovery, and watch as he inputs coordinates into the computer and the telescope begins to move.  
"Okay, feast your eyeballs on my favorite, the Helix Nebula, also know as the Eye of God." I smile as Tobias gestures for me to go ahead.

"Wow. It's so beautiful," I say as I look in the eyepiece.  
"Press this button here, and you can take a picture," Pedro says. I jump up at the opportunity, and push the red button.  
"Congratulations! You are now officially a space photographer," Pedro says, and I smile.

I spend some time looking at each thing Pedro shows me, and before I know it, Pedro is switching to the lower lens, and I'm looking at Venus. I notice Tobias whisper something in Pedro's ear and he nods.

"Our time is almost up, Tris. Come enter these coordinates for me." I follow Pedro, and do exactly as I'm told. The telescope moves, and I wait patiently to see what's next.

"Go ahead," he says when the telescope is ready. I look in the eyepiece, and my eyes are instantly filled with tears.  
"Want to take a picture?" Tobias asks, and I nod. Pedro holds out the button for me, and I smile bigger than I think I ever have in my life as I press it.  
"Can I still look?" I ask.  
"Take as long as you like," Pedro says with a smile.  
I wipe my eyes to clear the tears away before I look into the eyepiece again, and feel Tobias' hand on my back, right over my tattoo.

"I cannot believe I took like, an actual, real, genuine picture of Saturn," I say as I stare at the photograph. Pedro made me a folder of the things I photographed, and I can't stop looking at them on the way back down the mountain. "And I can't believe I didn't think to ask for this first! Thank you, for remembering. I think I was too in shock or something to think properly."  
"You're welcome," Tobias says.

When we return to the ship, I'm so full of energy, I can't sit still. "This trip has been amazing. I have so many pictures, and so many memories. I'm not sure how anything is ever going to top this," I say as we walk into Tobias' room.  
"All good, I hope," he says with a smile.  
"All of them," I say.

I walk over to Tobias, and wrap my arms around him. "Actually," I whisper in his ear, "There's one more memory I would like to make."  
He gives me a puzzled look, and when I start lifting the hem of his shirt, he smiles. "Are you sure?"  
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I say.

I pull his shirt off and follow with mine, before kissing him deeply and walking him back to his bed. Every insecurity I ever had, I toss to the side; it was never me that was the problem and I know that now. There is zero doubt that this is not just what I want, but that it's worth going after. I've opened up to him in ways I never have before, and I imagine it's the same for him too. It's not very often in life you find someone who seems to know you without even having asked, and for me, that's Tobias. He can read me in ways that I'm not sure Christina even could, and sharing his deepest secrets with me today just solidified what I already knew; I have fallen for this boy.

My body tingles at every touch, responding the exact way it should when things are right. Tobias trails open mouthed kissed down my neck, between my breasts, over my stomach, and when I moan out his name, I feel him smile against me. He has brought out a part of me that I had kept hidden away for so long, and with each taste and thrust and kiss, I don't think it will be possible for me to ever hide it away again.

We stay up late, whispering words and phrases to each other the way that two people who are comfortable with each other do. I fall asleep in his arms, and he in mine, with the greatest feeling in the world coursing through my veins;  _love_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, we're coming up on the end here. Yes, I know, another shorty. The good news is I've already decided to continue this story. I'll give you all more details when we reach the end. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I totally gave myself the feels when I was writing it haha.


	13. Chapter 13

**Day 12**

We spent our last day in Puerto Vallarta doing some more snorkeling; swimming with fish, turtles, manta rays, and even a jellyfish, before heading back to the ship to get changed for dinner.

We all decided we would splurge and have dinner together at The White Room, and that we would all dress as fancy as we could with what we brought.

"Here, wear this," Christina says as she holds out a dress. "And then I'll wear this one, and we'll be the hottest chicks on this ship." I sigh and roll my eyes, but she knows me too well. This is my favorite dress of hers.

"So, Four. He's like, a really good guy, isn't he?" Christina asks as we walk down the corridor. "I mean, I know I've asked before, but I just want to make sure you're not going to get hurt again. It's my duty as a best friend."  
"Yeah Chris, he is."  
"So are you going to try and like, date? Do a little long distance thing?"  
"He's about forty-five minutes away, it's not  _that_ long distance," I say, stopping for a minute to think about what she said.  
"Did you even talk about it?" she asks, laughing.  
"Oh shut it," I say, giving her a little shove. "What about Will? He seems nice enough, which is usually the opposite of what you date. So  _my_  job as a best friend is to make sure you keep him around for a while because he's good for  _you_."  
"Hey!" she says with a smile. "You're right though, and I know that now. He's actually pretty perfect. And he lives on the secondary campus, so he's only like ten minutes away," she says, wiggling her eyebrows, and I shove her again.

"Wow," Will says as the host brings us to our table. "You look two look great."  
"Thanks!" Christina says as she kisses him on the side of the head and sits. I give him a small smile and sit too, surprised Tobias isn't here yet. Surprised he didn't show up to walk us to the restaurant, actually.

Everyone else arrives and we order our drinks and a couple of appetizers, and I find myself getting more and more nervous that Tobias still hasn't shown up. While I haven't known him for that long, I know that this is uncharacteristic for him.  
"I'll be right back," I say, and start making my way towards the exit. Just as I round the corner to head towards his room, I see him.

"Four, there you-" I stop, looking at his red face and clenched jaw. "What? What happened."  
"Nothing," he says, taking a deep breath. "It's nothing. You look beautiful, Tris. Come on, let's go eat." As we walk, I notice him shake his hand out, and that there is a small cut on it.

"Hey, Four! It's about time!" Zeke shouts, and the table greets him with a round of applause. "As the last one to arrive, you get to buy the first round of drinks!" Four rolls his eyes, but gives Zeke a nod in defeat.

We spend a few hours enjoying each others company; drinking, telling stories and jokes, but mostly just laughing. I look around the table at each one of my new friends, and realize it's been a long time since I've felt like I really, truly belong to someone other than Christina. When I get to Tobias, I meet his gaze, and he is looking at me the way I deserve to be looked at; like I'm more than what's on the outside. I smile before leaning in and kissing him fully, not caring that the table has fallen silent and is more than likely watching.

"Hey lovebirds, get a room!" Uriah yells, and I hear Marlene whisper " _Uriah_!" as I pull away. I also see the middle finger Tobias is holding out in his direction, and laugh.  
"It's about time," Shauna says even though they've all seen us kiss a few times before. This is more than just a peck though, and I smile as she holds up her glass. "To new friends."  
I grab my glass and hold it out with the others, "To new friends."

"So, Christina said something as we were getting ready tonight, and it made me think," I say as we walk along the deck after dinner.  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah. She asked me if we were going to do the long distance relationship thing," I say.

I stop walking and look down as a small wave of nervousness rolls through me. I'm about ninety-nine percent sure Tobias wants to do this, but that doesn't stop the nerves from setting in. He stops walking too and after a moment, reaches out and lifts my face to his.

"I've thought about it," he says quietly, "A lot, actually. And honestly Tris, I can't imagine anything else." I smile and pull him towards me, and he wraps me tightly in his arms. As we stand there, I hear a noise- a scoff maybe? It draws my attention to an entryway, and I see Eric standing in it, sporting what looks like a fresh black eye and a scowl.

"Tobias," I say, pulling away and grabbing his hand. "Did you hit Eric?" He pulls his hand from me and tries to hide it behind his back. "I already saw it, you goofball."  
He sighs and lets his hand fall to his side. "I ran into him as I was coming to dinner, and he was saying some...unpleasant things to me about you." His jaw clenches a few times, and I reach my hand up, running it softly along his cheek. "I couldn't stop myself. Are you upset?"  
"Well, yes. But not because you hit him, he deserves that no questions asked. I just don't want you getting in trouble because he's an ass."

Tobias gives me a kiss on my forehead. "I hate the fact that he's around and that he hurt you the way he did and that I won't always be there for you if it happens again. But if you wan't, I'll do my best to ignore him from now on."  
"Okay," I say, flipping the bird in Eric's direction. Tobias notices and follows my arm out, clenching his jaw again when he sees him. "Hey," I say, turning his face and bringing his attention back to me. "You're my knight in shining armor," I say, grinning that I'm the only one that gets the joke right now, "Why don't we go see if we can find a hero's reward for you." I bite my lip and wink at him as I take his hand- his eyes immediately drop down to my lips. He raises his eyebrows as he brings his eyes back up to mine, and the smile that appears on his face is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen.

* * *

**Day 13**

"I can't believe this is almost over," I say as I lay my head on Tobias' bare chest. "Is it bad that I don't want it end?"  
"I don't think so," he says through a yawn, and I move slightly so my ear is near his heart. "What are you doing?" he asks quietly.  
"Just getting a good listen in so I can remember it when we're apart." I smile as I listen to the beating increase.

"Tris," he says softly as he reaches down and pulls me up level with his face. His eyes dart back and forth as they take in every last inch of mine. "I don't want...I mean we can...shit," he finally says after letting out an exasperated breath and giving me a sheepish grin.  
"Shh," I say. "Whatever it is, don't say it. Not yet. Let's just not think about tomorrow, okay?"  
"Okay," he says.

He runs his hand down my bare back before resting it on my hip, and I sigh just before he kisses me. I'm about to ask for a repeat performance of last night, when my phone goes off. Tobias lets out a small growl, but pecks me on the cheek before rolling over and finding my phone for me; I take the opportunity to look at his bare ass.

"When did you put this on here?" he asks as my phone lights up with another text.  
"That day."  
"I need that picture. In fact," he says as he snatches my phone back from me and opens the camera app, "I think we should take one right now."  
"What? No way. No morning after pictures," I say with a slight flush.  
"Well, it's better than during," he says with a grin. "Besides, you look beautiful, and I want to see that adorable grin of yours always." I roll my eyes, but snuggle up next to him as he holds my phone out. "And maybe I want to capture that morning after look too," he says quietly and snaps the photo. I give him a nudge, but he just holds my phone out and laughs at the looks on our faces; he has a big goofy smile, and my eyes are as wide as they can be.

"Give me that," I say as I try to snatch my phone back.  
"Okay, okay. I will but first, a real picture." I snuggle up again, and he takes the photo; I look like I'm glowing. I don't know if it was the hurt or the anger or the jealously Tobias was feeling last night, but whatever it was, he definitely used it to his advantage, or mine really, again and again and again. I still feel like a bowl of Jell-o, but it's a perfect picture, and I change my lock screen to that one instead. If this look on my face is what happens when I feel loved and respected and  _happy_  -among other things- then I'll take it.

"It's Christina. They want to meet for breakfast in an hour."  
"That's plenty of time," Tobias says as he pulls me on top of him and kisses me again.

"You look like you're... I don't know, floating? Or glowing? Is that the right word for it?" Christina whispers in my ear as we make our way through the buffet line.  
"Shut. Up."  
"Oh, a little testy, are we? I would think with that look on your face, you'd be a little more relaxed," she says as she gives me a grin and takes off. I feel my neck get hot, and will this look that's on my face to disappear.

"Well, you two look like you had sex last night," Zeke says as I sit down next to Tobias, and I feel myself turn as red as the tomato on my plate. I'm really starting to regret accepting this "happy" look on my face. "Shit, this morning too?" he says as I look up at him. I whip my head to my left and look at Tobias, but he just looks like he wants to murder Zeke. I elbow him in the ribs, and he says, "What? I didn't say anything!"  
"You didn't need to. Thanks for confirming, though," Zeke says with a grin, and Tobias launches a sausage at his head.

"I'm sorry." Tobias says as we walk along the deck after breakfast. "Zeke is, well..."  
"An ass?" I finish.  
"That. But only a little ass. And he lives for this kind of thing. I should have warned you better."  
"It's fine. I'm over it," I say, even though I'm still a bit embarrassed. If I'm going to be with Tobias and be friends with Zeke, I'm just going to have to get used to it. "At least nobody else was at the table." Tobias smiles and nods in agreement.

"What's that?" he says when we reach a part of the ship that we've never noticed before.  
"Oh! It's a surf simulator! I didn't know they had one," I say. "I always wanted to try surfing, but the thought of doing it out in the ocean is a little daunting."  
"Let's do it then," Tobias says.

He goes first, and I watch him fall into the wave a few times before he gets the hang of it. His smile as he looks up at me makes my heart swell; he wants to share his accomplishments, no matter how small, with  _me_.

He gives me a quick kiss and wishes me luck before I take my turn. It takes me twice as long, but I do it, and give Tobias the same consideration he gave me. He has his phone, so I throw him a quick hang loose symbol just before losing my balance and tumbling into the wave.

"You did it!" he says as I give him a hug.  
"Yeah, I did," I say, feeling a newfound strength after this. "Let's go find the others."

* * *

"We look ridiculous," I say as we get ready for our last night out together.  
"It's the 80's. The entire decade was ridiculous," Christina says. "Besides, I think your ass looks good in spandex." I shoot her a look, but sneak a quick peek in the mirror before sliding on my tulle skirt.

Christina, already in her leopard print spandex aerobic bodysuit, slides on her hot pink leg warmers and matching high heels and says, "Well, how do I look?"  
"Like Jane Fonda wishes she did."  
"Fuck. Yes."

We meet up with everyone in the club, and Christina and I crack up at all the bleached denim, shiny spandex, teased hair, M.C. Hammer pants and Madonna style fashion everyone is sporting.  
"Oh my god, where did you find that monstrosity?" I ask Tobias as he walks up.  
"What? This?" he says tugging on his poofy pants. "I raided Zeke's closet."  
"Hey!" Zeke yells. "I would never wear zebra stripes."  
"Good god, it's like Saved by the Bell and Flashdance vomited in here," Lynn says as she walks up.  
"Good to see you too, stranger," Shauna says.  
"Bite me. Guys, this is Ava," she says, introducing us to the cute red head standing beside her. "Ava, this is my sister Shauna, and all her weirdo friends."  
"Hey!"

I laugh at the typical sibling animosity as I grab Lynn's hand. "Come on. No making fun of people tonight." She rolls her eyes, but allows me to drag her out onto the dance floor, Ava in tow.

We dance the night away to all the best that the 80's had to offer as one big group, and when it's finally time for the club to close down, we decide that we don't want to leave each other at all, even Lynn. We pile into Tobias' room since it's the nicest, and biggest, and find that The Breakfast Club is on one of the movie channels. A quick call to room service, and everyone is settled in for the night with dessert and their favorite person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left. Sorry I did a double day in this one and sort of cheated you guys out of a chapter, but there's only so much you can write about on a cruise ship, and really, this one already has EVERYTHING lmao. I didn't want to repeat things just for the sake of adding another chapter.
> 
> It's always been my head cannon that Tris and Tobias have good sex, no matter what the setting is, because they connect in that way that a lot of people don't. And when Tobias gets in that mood (you know, _Four mode_ ), well, he takes it out on Tris in all the right ways. Zero shame in admitting that Theo James fuels this cannon like you don't even know hahaha.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a great weekend!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: Didn't want to make you wait a whole weekend for one chapter. Enjoy!

**Day 14**

"Let's go for a walk before we have to pack," Tobias says as he nuzzles into me. "I want a little alone time with you while I can still get it."  
"Okay," I say through sleepy eyes. I step cautiously over our sleeping friends and head to the bathroom, pulling my still teased hair up into a ponytail and washing some of the glitter off my face before heading out.  
"I need to change, I look ridiculous," I say as we walk down the corridor.  
"No way. I totally dig the Madonna vibe you got going on." I give Tobias the side eye, and he laughs. "Okay, let's go."

One jeans and t-shirt change later, I feel more like myself.  
"Better?"  
"Much," I say. "So, where to?"

We pick up some croissants and hot tea, and I follow Tobias as we walk. When we end up at the Amity Atrium, I smile.  
"Thought we might bring it back to the beginning," he says.

We sit under the tree we first kissed in, enjoying the sounds of the chirping birds that live in the atrium as we eat.  
"I'm going to miss you," Tobias eventually says.  
"I'm going to miss you too." I watch him as he looks around nervously. "Is everything okay?"  
"Yeah," he says. "I just...I'm not really good with goodbyes."  
"Me either," I whisper. "Let's try and think of it as...until next time. Or even to be continued, instead of a goodbye."  
"Okay."

Tobias leans back against the trunk, and pulls me into him. We kiss and enjoy each others company for as long as we can, and still refuse to leave when Christina starts blowing up my phone.

"Okay, Okay, I'm coming," I say after finally answering. "I'm being summoned to help pack."  
"Okay," Tobias says quietly. "I'll walk you back."

After going over Christina's list for the third time, and checking the whole room for the fifth, we both agree that we haven't forgotten anything. I run my hand along the photo album and smile as I zip it safely into my suitcase, along with my folder from the observatory, my first prize trophy and blue ribbon, and the not so dorky photo of Christina and me at the reef.  
"You ready to say goodbye?" Christina asks.  
"Not really."  
"Yeah. Me either." She leans over and gives me a big hug. "Thank you."  
"For what?"  
"Being you. And having a good time. And letting go a little and meeting new people." She winks at the last one, and I smile. "Come on. Let's go say goodbye."

We meet everyone in front of The Burger Bar like we planned, and disembark together.  
"Bye!" Marlene says as she starts the round of hugs. "I'm really glad we met you guys. We have to make sure to hang out at least once a week."  
"Okay," I say with a smile.

I move down the line giving hugs and saying my goodbyes, and when I get to Zeke, I'm surprised when he pulls me in and whispers, "I'm really glad we met you."  
"Me too," I say.  
"And if you ever tell him I said anything, I will deny it and make you look crazy, but you make him a better person," he says, motioning his head to a confused looking Tobias. "In all the years I've known him, I don't think I've ever seen him open up like this. You're a good thing for him, Tris."  
I smile and wipe away the sloppy kiss he plants on the side of my head as I walk over to Tobias.

"What was that all about?"  
"Nothing. I think Zeke likes me." Tobias holds his arms out and gives Zeke a 'what the fuck' look. "Not like that," I say. "Just that he likes...us."  
"I know. I'm just giving him a hard time." He leans in and gives me a kiss on my cheek. "Can I tell you a secret?" he whispers against my skin.  
"Yes," I say breathlessly.  
"I like us too."

I close my eyes and pull Tobias into me, taking in every last second with him that I can.  
"Tris, we have to go if we're going to make the train."  
"Coming, Christina." I give Tobias one last kiss and slip a piece of paper in his hand. "My address, and everything else you need to get a hold of me. Text me when you get home."  
"I will." Tobias gives me a small smile and waves as we leave.

My phone rings as we walk, and when I pull it out of my pocket, I see Tobias' face on the screen.  
"Hey," I say. "It's been what, two minutes?"  
"Three," he says. "Turn around."  
I look back, and see everyone has climbed up onto whatever they can and are waving wildly. "Chris," I say nudging her.  
"Awww!" she yells out. She starts blowing kisses to everyone, and I smile and do the same.

* * *

"Will and I are going out to dinner tonight."  
"Okay," I say. It still feels weird being back. Two weeks have passed, and though I've talked to Tobias in one form or another almost every day, between my classes starting back up and his job on top of his classes, we figured we can't meet up for another three weeks still, and it has me a little down.  
"You want to come with us?"  
"No. You two go and have a good time."

I grab my Kindle and curl up on my bed, hoping to get lost in the wizarding world for a little while. When there's a knock at the door, Christina yells for me to get it.  
"Hey Will," I say as I let him in.  
"Hey. How are you Tris?" I shrug and give him a little smile. "I actually have something for you," he says, a small smile on his face.  
"Me?" He nods and pulls a single flower from behind his back; a stargazer lily.

I look from his hand to his face and back before taking it from him. "Thank you," I say.  
"Well, it's not  _actually_  from me, but you're welcome." I smile as I bring the flower up and smell it. "Christina said you didn't want to come to dinner with us, but if  _I_ asked you, would you reconsider?"  
I raise an eyebrow, but give in to the pleading puppy dog eyes Will is giving me. "Okay."  
"Yay!" Christina yells from our bathroom.

We go out to the pizza place that's just a couple of blocks away, and just spend some time talking and reminiscing about our trip. I see Christina occasionally text someone, but don't think too much of it.  
"I think we're ready," she says all of a sudden, and Will stands.  
"Oh, okay. Do you want me to go get lost for a while?" I ask, confused by her sudden outburst.  
"Nope," Will says, and I look back and forth between the two of them, but both of their faces are blank.  
"Okay then," I say.

As we walk back to campus, Marlene comes up to us out of nowhere. "Hey!" she says to me as she bounces a little in place.  
"Hey yourself. What are you up to?"  
"Oh, nothing. I was just about to meet Uriah. Can I walk with you guys?"  
"Sure," I say, getting more suspicious about everything as each minute passes.  
"Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you," she says as she pulls a stargazer out of her purse.

I stare at her, but she just smiles sweetly and pushes the flower in my hand. "Uriah should be around here somewhere," she says as we start walking. I look over at Christina, but she is busying herself with staring at her fingernails as we walk.

"Marlene!" I hear a familiar voice yell. Uriah bounds up and gives her a big hug. "Hey guys!" he says with a smile on his face. "What are you up to?"  
"Just heading back from dinner," Will answers.  
"Cool, cool. Ready Mar?"  
"Yeah."  
"Okay. See you guys later. Oh, and Tris?"  
"Yes," I say slowly.  
"Here," he says as he pulls a stargazer out of his back pocket.

I take it and turn to Christina. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"  
"What?" she says calmly.  
"You know what," I say, but she just shrugs.

We just hit the steps to our dorm when Zeke and Shauna come walking through the doors. "Oh there you are!" Zeke says to Christina. "We just stopped by to say hi, but you weren't home."  
"Stopped by my butt," I mutter.  
"Hey Tris," Shauna says as she leans in for a hug. "How have you guys been?"  
"Good," Christina answers. "Actually, Will and I were thinking about taking a walk. Want to join us?"  
"Sure," Shauna says.

I eyeball the back of everyones head when they turn and leave me standing there, and shake my own in total confusion before heading up the stairs. I've had enough weirdness for one evening. Just as I reach the door, I hear heavy footsteps.  
"I almost forgot," Zeke says from behind me as he plants a wet kiss on my temple and holds out two more stargazers.  
"Thanks," I say as I wipe the side of my face with my sleeve. His face breaks out into a huge grin and he winks before he runs back to join the others.

I smile in the elevator on the way up and smell my flowers; five now in total. When the doors open, I walk quickly to my room to get them all in some water.  
It takes me a minute to notice the one laying on my bed, along with a little card attached to it; I hesitate for just a moment before reading it.

_Look out the window for your other half  
T-_

I can't stop the enormous grin that spreads across my face as I rush over. Standing underneath the giant oak tree that's right outside our window is Tobias, flowers in hand. He waves, and my heart stops for a moment as the words he wrote echo through my mind. Sure he has the other half of my dozen flowers in his hand, but it could also mean...

Without another thought I race down the stairwell, too impatient to wait for the elevator. When I burst outside, he is already halfway up the stairs.  
"What are you doing here?" I ask through the kisses I am showering him with.  
"I wanted to visit our photo album," he says with a sly grin.  
I roll my eyes, but smile all the same. "I thought you had to work?"  
He let's out a fake cough. "I'm sick."  
"Oh you poor baby," I say with a laugh.

"So, where's my other half?" I ask as I look at his empty hands.  
"Right here," he says as he looks in my eyes, and now I know he isn't talking about the flowers. I pull him into me and kiss him with more passion than I ever thought I was capable of. When we separate, he reaches over and grabs the rest of my flowers from the wall where he set them.

He leads me across the grassy common area, hand in hand, to where everyone is waiting for us.  
"Thank you guys. That was very sweet," I say.  
"Anything for you," Christina says as she hugs me.

"Since I'm here," Tobias says, "How about I cash in that rain check for dessert?"  
I look over at Christina who says, "Ice cream?"  
"Sounds good to me," I say.

We spend the evening hanging out and talking in an ice cream parlor, and everyone eventually filters out, leaving just Tobias and me.  
"Thank you," I say. "I was feeling a little down today that I had to wait so long to see you, so this was the absolute perfect ending to my day."  
"Well, it's not over yet."  
"Oh," I say, with a raised eyebrow.

He takes my hand and leads me back towards my dorm. He doesn't say anything, and I let him fumble around the building for a little while before finally asking if I can help at all.  
"I'm just looking for the damn emergency exit," he says.  
"It's over here," I say with a confused look on my face. He gives me a small smile before leading me up the stairs.

When we get to the top, he props open the roof access door and leads me out. I stop in my tracks when I see what's up here.  
"Tobias," I say quietly.  
"I thought that maybe we could start our own tradition," he says. He takes my hand and leads me over to the brand new telescope that's sitting here, complete with red bow and all. "Meeting you has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me, Tris. I love the memories we made on the cruise, and truthfully, I hope we make many, many more."

I spin around and take his face in my hands, kissing him softly. "Tobias, I want nothing more in the world. But how did you?"  
"Zeke and Shauna," he says with small smirk.  
"Ahh. Clever." He smiles and gestures for me to look in the telescope. It takes me a minute, but I get the position just right, and let Tobias look.  
"To making memories," I say as he looks in the eye piece.

Saturn may have been something I shared with my father, but I am more than happy to share it again with someone else, someone who I could love just as much. I run downstairs and grab a couple of blankets and we stay on the roof, talking and looking at the stars, until the early hours of the morning. I convince Tobias to stay just one more hour with whispers and promises before taking off my shirt and his. When we finally say goodbye with a kiss by his car, our hair and clothes a rumpled mess, he whispers into my ear, "To be continued."  
"Until next time," I say, and my heart skips a beat at the thought of how many more of those there will be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all she wrote. I hope you all enjoyed this because I had a really fun time writing it. I am going to continue this story, but not in the typical story fashion. Most of the time the reason most modern day's don't work, I think, is because there's literally infinite things you can write about them in an infinite amount of years, and it just goes on and on and on. I don't want to do that story. So instead I'm going to write it as a series of one shots and/or short stories through both POV's, going through the different stages in their life that are super important as far as a relationship goes, to things that don't really matter and are just another day.
> 
> I have lots of ideas to incorporate, like Jealous!Four and Jealous!Tris, meeting Marcus, an actual REAL first date, Tris getting to see Four mode in action, college graduation, some smut- because really, that's why you're all here lmao. (I ain't even hating, I'm right here with you haha.)
> 
> If you guys have anything you'd like to see, or an idea for certain type of scene you'd like, MAIL ME! I'll see what I can do about incorporating your ideas, and I can get a feel for some of the things you're after. I think I'm also going to add in one scene from this story from Tobias' POV (meeting Eric before dinner. Spoiler: there's your first chapter. :P)
> 
> I am already in the middle of another story though, and this one is really hard for me. (and longer. 30k already, and probably half way!) I'm going back to basics, only...darker, for lack of a better word. I don't know that I'll be able to write both at the same time, seeing as how they're SO different, so I probably won't get started on this sequel until I'm done with the other one. (and you guys might get two stories at once.) I'm gonna push myself to get posting by Halloween (fingers crossed), so make sure you're following me as an author to get updates for both of these stories.
> 
> Once again, THANK YOU. You guys are just, so, SO awesome. All the comments you leave, and the mail I get, I love all of it. You really make me happy, and make me feel like I never let you down. I'm always at a loss for what to say to you guys, because half the time I just can't put what I'm feeling into words. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.


End file.
